


Little light

by levi2207



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alador Blight is trying (tm), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Belos centric, Dad!Belos, Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, Hurt/Comfort, Lilith Clawthorne Redemption, Lilith gets herself a girlfriend, Odalia is not, Trust me it's better than it sounds, how did I forget this, its like... one of the main points of the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 153,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/levi2207/pseuds/levi2207
Summary: There's something familiar, about the Boiling Isles. Luz Noceda would not go so far as to call it expected, but... there's something off, in realizing that what she sees in her dreams is unnervingly close to reality, even if it's not quite her own reality.Emperor Belos, on the other hand, would really just like to get some sleep without someone else's emotions banging down his door every night.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Emperor Belos & Luz Noceda, Emperor Belos/Camila Noceda, Lilith clawthrone/OC
Comments: 1184
Kudos: 1903





	1. Across the veil.

**Author's Note:**

> Well then, this is what I've been working on this past week for the people wondering where I've been with the caged owl's talons update. That will probably be out after the season finale, at least in that week
> 
> This is something I've been working on for a bit, rn I'm just curious if someone guesses where this is going. If they do, I'll update the tags but rn I'm just curious.

Darkness.

No, not darkness, darkness was not strong enough a word, he mused.

Darkness was a room by candlelight compared to this. It was looking into an abyss, like gazing into the void. Like standing on the precipice of a black hole, staring as light was sucked in and simply ceased to exist. 

_Nothingness_ was a more apt description. 

He felt _normal,_ But there was a sluggishness in his bones, as if taking a step forward would send him crashing into whatever was below. Turning his head from side to side took effort beyond his imagination for such a simple gesture. 

He tried to take a step, but found his body unwilling, no- unable to do so. Some sort of liquid sloshed around his ankles, flowing like a river one moment. Yet the second he tried to take a step it was like standing in dried concrete. Every time he tried to move, the surge grew. Until he was struggling to keep his footing. Though the only indication was the force with which it pushed against him, the normal roaring associated was drowned out by the sheer deafening silence that this place seemed to exist in.

He drew a small magic circle in the air, hoping to conjure forth a simple light spell to counteract the inky darkness in which he found himself, only to fail at doing so. Great, so he was stuck in whatever this was without the use of his magic.

One breath filled his lungs with pure cold. Making his body convulse involuntarily, the next set them alight with humid heat, his eyes burned as if staring into a nonexistent sun. His cheeks stung, as if burned by the same star. His ears however were numb with frostbite

Without warning _something_ slammed into his side, buckling his knees as he fought to keep standing amidst the onslaught of what felt like a gale force wind, and then suddenly. As quickly as it had appeared…

Only to slam into him from the back, this time his footing failed him. Sending him plummeting into the-

The liquid, he was pretty sure it _wasn’t_ water, washed over him. Yet the thick, viscous liquid didn’t creep into the eyeholes of his mask, didn’t soak his cloak or pour into his boots, it settled over him like a thick, murky blanket instead.

His eyes widened however, as he realized something.

He was _sinking._ The bottom wasn’t there, and he was descending into _something_. His lungs were burning as he tried to stave off a breath that he feared might be his last, clogging his lungs with ichor as he sank further and further down.

Mere seconds passed, but they felt like an eternity. His chest was _on fire_ and it was getting harder and harder to-

A lapse in judgement, a miniscule break in concentration. That was all it took, but his mouth opened, lungs aching as he gasped for…

_Nothing._

A few more seconds passed, his vision becoming blurry as darkness crept in. Before sinking turned to _falling_. His lungs suddenly filled with oxygen once more as he plummeted an unknowable height, too busy trying to drag air into his starving lungs to wonder about the inevitable bottom.

A bottom that, thankfully he didn’t actually meet.

A light suddenly appeared within the darkness, bathing the abyss in pale blue rays and forcing his eyes shut at the sheer _intensity_ of what, contrasted against the void felt like a burning star.

Suddenly momentum ceased to exist, leaving his body suspended as he bobbed up and down like a float in the ocean.

Something happened then, the cerulean rays poured over him, penetrating his clothes and seemed to soak into his skin, filling him with a pleasant warmth he hadn’t felt before.

The sensation put him at ease, seemingly ebbing away decades of stress. He opened his eyes once more, looking into the orb which didn’t burn them anymore. It pulses with life, and something else. Something he couldn’t place.

He tried to move, first a finger, then his hand and his arm after that. It seemed he had some sort of control again.

Curious, he tried to move again. Finding himself able, if clumsily so. To bring himself closer and closer to the source of light.

He stopped a few feet in front of it, arms outstretched as he floated in front of the object. It didn’t resemble a star much from this distance, it was tiny, small enough to fit in one of his hands he reckoned. And there was no evidence of any sort of burning or heat from it, merely a pleasant, nostalgic feeling.

He stretched out an arm, palm open as he moved it towards the strange orb. Mentally bracing himself for whatever might occur.

It wasn’t enough.

A single finger brushed the beacon, two seconds later a blast slammed into him with enough force to send his weightless body careening away for what felt like an eternity, vertigo making itself known as he was thrown around like a leaf in a hurricane.

  
  


That wasn’t the worst part, within his disoriented mind, pictures, images, sounds and words slammed into his consciousness with the strength and ferocity of an adult slitherbeast, each one of them hitting with enough force to make him clearly remember them, even if they only appeared for microseconds at most.

_These aren’t my memories_.

A house, eyes, pine trees. All of these he had flashburned into his memories. more followed thereafter. The smell of molten butter, the feeling of grass on his fingertips, a feeling he couldn’t _quite_ place yet felt oh so familiar followed them.

Then came the sensations. Not his own, though he felt them nonetheless, like the radiating heat from a roaring fire. Hopeful, happy, comfortable, like he belonged. Slowly morphing into the very opposite. Ostracized, vilified, outcast and abandoned. Feelings he had no recollection of ever recalling to such an extent shoved daggers of ice into his soul. 

It was almost too much, the sheer intensity of such feelings. And he wasn’t even feeling their true extent. A question he asked himself at that point, _who had been hurt like this?_

And then something echoed throughout the emptiness, a hymn, a _song._ Sung by a voice that felt like it was coming from the farthest reaches of the world, yet clear enough that it sounded as if sung right in his ears.   
  
Louder and louder it crescendoed, until he could feel his eardrums rupture and blood pour out of his ears. Until all he could do was open his mouth for the first time and let out a scream, a _roar_ of such unfettered agony that it transcended his sleepy delirium.

  
  


\--

Kikimora was, despite her diminutive stature, an old demon, ancient even. She’s seen many things that would shatter the souls of mortals and come out none the worse, she was around when civilization was at its most primitive, when the first primal magicks were harnessed by witches and demons alike she saw and watched. 

She’s lived through the fall of empires, the sacking of cities, the genocides of races. 

Witnessing those atrocities, one could argue she was numb to things such as fear. Oftentimes she’d agree, fear was something she had barely any recollection of feeling.

Yet, when in the early hours of the morning, as the sun crested over the rolling hills of the boiling isles. As light poured into her room’s singular window and she was getting ready to dig into the hearty liver and potato pie the castle’s servants had brought to her chambers for breakfast, when that _howl_ rang through the castle.

She felt something icy settle in her veins.

Breakfast forgotten, she bolted from her room. Slamming through the wooden door as she tore through the winding hallways and into the throne room.   
  
The guards seemed taken aback by the lack of her normal aloof attitude, face undoubtedly warped into a worried scowl. They followed her however, past the massive heart suspended above the emperor’s throne and into the tower.

The tower was, under normal circumstances. Completely forbidden to anyone except the emperor himself, though Lilith and she herself had been granted permission on rare occasions when the emperor was too busy to come down to meet them.

She knew of some of the chambers she passed as she raced up the cold stone steps, guards losing ground as she out-sped them quite handily in her haste to get to the chambers.  
  
At the very top of the tower, a pair of almost black wooden doors met her, at least twelve feet tall, 20 foot across and undoubtedly covered in a myriad of protective runes and spells.   
  
So, she hoped the emperor would forgive her for the expenses he’d have to make to replace it, as she cast a fireball that utterly _obliterated_ the black wood.

She made it about two steps into the room before she was lifted off of the ground, muscles unable to make any headway against the force levitating her above the ground.

Straining herself she was able to get a look out of the corner of her eye as the door rebuilt itself. Glowing with blue runes that even _she_ didn’t know.

“Kikimora, please knock next time.” 

Her head whirled around, taking in the rather plain room before settling on the form of emperor Belos. Her shoulders sagged slightly, he didn’t seem to be hurt in any way, shape or form. Though the heaving of his chest and the shaking of his limbs dampened her relief considerably.

He released her from his telekinetic hold, setting her down on the floor as he swung his heads over the side of the bed, a flash of light later and Kikimora was looking at the fully clothed form of the most powerful witch ever.

“My liege, are you alright?” Normally she wouldn’t dare insinuate a thing, she’d seen members of the emperor’s coven banished for insinuating such a thing. But they were in private now, and there had always been a certain bond of familiarity between the two of them.

“I- I do not know.” He responded, turning to gaze out of the window. Something about the tone of his voice made her step forward. Unsure of what to do but still eager to at least do something.

“I’ll be gone for the day, please make the coven aware of that fact. Though I don’t think it needs to be said that this stays between us.”  
  
“Of course, my liege” She bowed, stepping back out of the chambers, thankfully this time she opened them instead of obliterating them.

He needed to get out.

This room was constricting, fraying his nerves with its mere existence as he stared out of the window. He needed somewhere, anywhere else to be at this point in time.

A location sprang to mind, he closed his eyes and felt the rush of magic as he blinked away. Opening them again he found himself standing atop the titan’s skull.

A sharp, ringing pain echoed through his chest, driving him to his knees as he felt the familiar taste of iron in his mouth. It was getting worse.

But, he was the emperor, he couldn’t allow a moment of weakness. So he gritted his teeth and stood back up, ignoring the way his body screamed at him as he stood atop the gigantic skull.

From here he could see all the way to the titan’s feet, the rays of a new dawn illuminating the boiling isles in orange tinted sunlight.

Any other day, he would have been able to appreciate the sheer magnificence of his dominion.

Any other day, his mind wouldn’t be infested with questions, burrowing through his thoughts like maggots. And he had not a single answer.

He’d felt something in that dream- vision- nightmare or whatever it might have been. Something he hadn’t felt in so long he’d forgotten what it felt like.

He’d felt _whole_.

But that was a small drop of positivity amidst an ocean of conflict that bashed and raged against the shores of his mind.

He had stood against armies alone, faced cosmic entities that defied imagination, walked through realms where the deepest darkest fears of the imagination were made manifest. And yet nothing had made him feel like _that_ had.

A feeling he wasn’t even sure he recognised. No, he _did_ recognise it. He just didn’t understand it, fear.

He almost wanted to scoff

He was the emperor, a force without equal, he commanded and reality itself _obeyed_. Yet a simple dream was enough to make him feel fear where demons that had burned civilisations had merely made him feel disappointed.

Yet, deep within himself he _knew_ it was something else, that it wasn’t _just_ a dream.   
  
What it was however, he didn’t know.

But he _would_ find out, one way or another.

Suddenly, a familiar feeling had the hairs at the back of his neck stand up. That same inexplicable sensation was back, though weaker this time. If last time had been a Gale, this was a breeze.

It was a sense of, of _accomplishment_ , and of pride and a myriad of other emotions in varying degrees.

He supposed, if these were to be a thing now. This was a better feeling than the other ones.

That simply brought him back to the sea of questions swirling within him, one however stuck out above them all. That _voice_. He knew the common tongue like everyone on the isles, he spoke a hundred demonic languages, and even more dead ones than he could count. But that voice, it had been melodious, yet unnerving, familiar, yet not. And most of all.

Complete and utter gibberish to his ears, except for two words.

_Little light._

\--Meanwhile--

A certain 9 year old was smiling, listening to a few songs from an anime she’d recently found whilst drawing.

Today was a good day, today was the weekend. And that meant no school, it meant no mean words or angry looks, it meant no visits to the principal’s office or her mother’s disappointed looks.

_Nope!_

Weekends meant staying up an hour later, they meant getting to eat some sweets when mom went to work, weekends sometimes meant going to something like the park where she could try to play with the ducks, they were usually up for a game of tag. Unlike the kids at school or at the playground in the park.

Weekends were fun, though she kinda sometimes wished she could invite people to come play with her over the weekends, but mommy had said after they’d all been too busy to attend her birthday that maybe inviting people over wasn’t the best idea.

Didn’t matter much at this moment, because she was busy correcting an age old mistake, it all made so much sense. Why hadn’t people thought of this yet?

She was just finishing up the final touches, drawing up the tiny little eight legged creeps spewing forth from that little orange beak.  
  
Why were people so obsessed with making griffons these cool lion eagle things, this was so much better.   
  
It looked perfect, just like how she’d dreamed it.   
  


That was a nice dream  
  
Well, it hadn’t started out as a nice dream, first she was back at school. And she’d just tried to help but they’d called her names and she hadn’t even done anything but she still got sent to the principal’s office.   
  
And her mom didn’t believe her, she’d told her that she loved her and that she’d grow out of it but she didn’t _believe_ her.

_She never did._

But that didn’t matter, because suddenly the not so nice dream turned into a _really_ nice dream.

There was this flash of colour and suddenly she was floating through this really cool place.  
  
There were busses that looked like centipedes, and fairies that had no eyes. The people had these weird pointy ears that acted kinda like a cat’s.

There was a screaming school bell and a really angry black thing that was kinda scary but didn’t really see her, and then there was this big flapping of feathers and woosh there was the Griffon.  
  
There was no eagle head, of _course_ there was no eagle head. The hooked beak would only block the spiders it spit out at some girl, who screamed and ran away whilst the really cool Griffon just sat back.   
  
A pigeon head really did make a lot more sense. She supposed, thought it was kind of a shame that she couldn’t pet it, her hand went straight through it and it didn’t notice her. But its coos were cute so that was fun.

  
Afterwards she’d flown around a bunch and ended up taking a nap in the clouds, that’s when she’d woken up. Mom had already gone to work so she quickly made herself a bowl of cereal before starting on her biggest project yet.   
  
So she’d poured the milk and cereal into the bowl, grabbed it and went to sit at the small table in front of the TV, she’d grabbed a few pencils and a stack of paper as she put on the TV   
  
And finally she was done, the table had a few splashes of milk on it and she had some smudges of pencil lead on her face but it was finally done!   
  
A sound of the door’s lock turning made her bounce with excitement, oh mom would be so proud of her, her art was so good!   
  
She waited for a bit, before running down the hallway with a shout of “MOM, LOOK WHAT I DREW!!” once those familiar words rang out through the hallway.   
  
“Luz, I’m home.”


	2. Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back, hopefully with another good chapter. But that's something you guys will have to decide on your own. I do have 2 announcements regarding this chapter however
> 
> 1\. There are minor depictions of animal suffering and gore, if that is something you'd rather not read skip over the second Luz part
> 
> 2\. My awesome Beta reader's back! Thank whatever's up there for StormySkiesAhead (I'll try to post the link when it's not 3 AM)

As a kid, nothing’s quicker to ruin your fun than seeing those dark clouds in the sky, or feeling those first cold droplets slide down the back of your neck.  
  
As a kid, rain sucks.

Rain meant staying inside, staying inside often meant bored children, bored children often led to hijinx, hijinx often led to annoyed parents, etc.

Luz supposed it was lucky, then, that she wasn’t bored. _Or_ that her mother wasn’t home, no doubt working another long shift at the hospital. The little girl was currently holed up in her room, clad in a purple otter onesie and nestled firmly within a nest of blankets as she sketched away on her bed.

Currently she was sketching a… What was it called, again? She scooted herself up a bit, trying to read the name she’d written on the upper corner of the paper.

_Snaggleback._ It read. She frowned a bit as she looked at the sketch again, tapping the point of her pencil against the palm of her hand as she looked at the creature’s bumpy round shell. Yeah that made sense, she supposed. 

_Just a few more there, a line there_.

“Aaaand done.” she muttered to nobody in particular, looking over her newest piece of art as she wet a finger to try and get some of the graphite off of the back of her hand.

It was sketchy, and there were some spots where the lines were blurry or faded because she’d accidentally rested her hand on the paper. Definitely something she’d take another crack at.

Looking at the time, however, made it clear it would have to wait for another time. Her mom would be coming home from work soon, and that meant Dinner! She put the notebook away, placing it in the little box under her bed where she kept all her sketches, pencils and such.

Turning off her bedside lamp left her in the darkness, the only lights in her room coming from the dim sunlight that broke through the rain clouds and into the window, and the soft glowing heat lamps of her little terrarium.

Well… Little might not be the correct word. The hundred-twenty gallon aquarium took up most, if not all of the desk it stood on. It had taken her a few birthdays and a _lot_ of chores to save enough for the whole kit. 

It had been a pain to get everything, too. The little water dishes and the rocks had been easy. The wooden plank that divided the enclosure in half, too. But the special lamps and the inhabitants themselves had been much harder.

Eventually, two days worth of pleading and a promise to take out the trash for a month had convinced her mother to make the four hour trip to go get everything.  
  
 _So worth it._ She thought, looking at the enclosures. On the right was Azura, happily dozing away on her basking rock. On the left was Hecate, who was currently relaxing in her water dish.

Her water dish… Which was currently dirty.

“Seriously, again?” She muttered, taking a glance over to the other half of the terrarium and confirming that yes, Azura had dirtied her water dish too.

For all that she loved her two little hognose snakes, they had a nasty habit of pooping in the water bowl, which meant she needed to clean it almost every time after feeding them. Usually, Hecate had the decency to not follow in Azura’s footsteps… or whatever they were called in snakes. But this time, she’d just decided to be a brat too.

Well, she had another half hour before her mother returned, so she might as well, she did always say that Luz would have to “take care of them herself” so.

Well, first thing first. Opening the lid of the enclosure she first grabbed Azura’s water bowl. The bigger of her two snakes opened its eyes, looking quizzingly at the intrusion, but didn’t move from her spot.

_Well, that’s one._ Luz thought, setting the first water dish to the side, now onto the second one.

She just hoped Hecate would play along for once, but a quick glance over to the left enclosure quickly quashed that. The smaller of her two snakes was always the grumpier one of the two, and today was no exception.  
  
The tiny snake was hissing up at her, pressed flat against the bottom of the water dish in an attempt to make itself as threatening as possible.

Luz just thought she looked adorable.

But, how cute a six inch snake trying to make itself look scary might be, it didn’t really change the fact that she was still laying in the water dish. She didn’t have a stick or something on hand so she just settled for trying to slowly reach over to her tail, and pull her out of the dish that way.

Of course, Luz’s hand barely got within five inches of the bowl before Hecate struck.

"¿En serio Hec, otra vez?" 

Hognose snakes are odd things. Usually, they’ll prefer to use their signature noses to bump into people instead of striking like normal snakes. 

Hecate was not like most hognose snakes, Luz had found that out the hard way when she’d tried to pet the feisty little noodle, where Azura had allowed the perhaps slightly heavy handed petting, Hecate _definitely_ didn’t- Luz had ran crying to her mother after Hecate had mock striked at her the first time.

How far they’d come, that the Dominican-American didn’t even bat an eye at the tiny snake furiously chewing on her thumb.

“C’mon, let go.” The tiny snake seemed to latch on even tighter as she raised her hand up a bit, thankfully there was a silver lining to this whole situation. Luz raised the snake a tiny bit higher, lifting Hecate clean up in the air. Quickly using her other hand, she grabbed the water dish from under the snake before lowering her down again.  
  


The moment she touched the ground again, Hecate unlatched herself from Luz, no doubt slithering away onto her own basking rock to sulk for a bit.

“Little grump.” She muttered. That snake really seemed to hate her, she reckoned- inspecting her thumb. No droplets of blood meant she hadn’t broken the skin, but what she did see made her lift an eyebrow in concern at Hecate.

Hecate normally struck with an open mouth, really unusual for hognose snakes but something she was used to by now.

She wasn’t used to seeing venom on her fingers afterwards. Hecate normally only bit dry, foregoing trying to inject venom over simply using her needle like teeth to hurt.

Well, she’d wash that off with some water and soap in a bit, the worst hognose venom did was cause some mild irritation so it wasn’t really that bad even if it _did_ somehow manage to get into her system. Now she was wondering what had caused her to do something like that.

Thankfully, as Luz had predicted- Hecate had indeed gone up onto her little basking rock instead of using her shovel nose to dig herself into the bedding or hiding below the little log in the corner. Which allowed the girl to quickly spot the reason for her attitude.

Her eyes, normally clear and vibrant- were opaque, and she looked a bit paler than usual in the brighter light of the heat lamp.

“Phew” Luz couldn’t help but say, she wasn’t sick or anything. Merely about to shed.

Well, that was a relief, though it did mean she had to add something else in the notes for the neighbor.

Tomorrow morning, she and her mother were taking a three day trip to meet up with some family. A cousin of her’s was turning 15. Meaning this would be the first quinceanera Luz had ever attended, and she was really excited. 

But she had two pets to take care of, and it had taken her mom a lot of convincing but Miss Abigail next door had finally caved and agreed to take care of the two of them whilst they were gone.

She doubted the woman wanted _anything_ to do with the snakes, but she _was_ an animal lover. Even set harm free mouse traps and such, so she was pretty sure the neighbour would follow the instructions Luz had left her.

\--

Rain battered and poured against the castle’s walls, the acidic droplets sizzling out against the magical barrier. Thunder shattered through the sky whilst the winds howled against the black skies.

The dead of night, and none save one were awake in the castle. 

A singular figure, ensconced on the uppermost level of the highest tower, pacing back and forth with a slight manic fervor instead of slumbering like all others.

Belos didn’t sleep much, not anymore. Ever since that night, a little more than a year ago, that same damned dream haunted him. The first time was disconcerting. The second time, a night later, was no better. The ones after _that_ slowly but surely dug themselves a hole within the emperor’s memories.

He’d begun opting to simply not sleep unless sufficiently exhausted, instead using the newfound hours to do a myriad of things- scouring through ancient tomes, writing new legislation and orders, all whilst trying to find a way out of his current predicament.

The first few weeks had been spent trying out various elixirs and potions, when all of those failed to make any headway, he’d spent another few weeks researching spells. From spells that incited dreamless slumber to ones that worked against nightmares, none were effective.

When physical means had been exhausted, mental means were his next bet. Setting up mental barriers had not worked. Confronting the weird visions with force brooked the same result.

No matter how much he raged and struggled within the dreamscape, the result would be the same. Him, standing in front of that orb, and getting blasted away whilst sensations, emotions and the like burst into his psyche. Every night was different, yet still eerily familiar. Not that he had any clue as to _why_ it had felt familiar.

Tired from his pacing, he seated himself in the simple wooden chair in front of his desk, resting his chin on his hands as he stared out of the window into the storm brewing outside. All the while, his mind wracked itself with questions to which the answers eluded him.

He had not an inclination as to why the second hand feelings... _affected_ him. He’d crusaded in the savage ages, he’d quashed rebellions and uncovered plots by the dozens. His hands were stained with blood of witches and demons alike among many, many other beings. And he’d naught but lost a minute’s worth of sleep over them.

These feelings, no not feelings- _echoes_ of feelings- They _did_. And to a degree he was uncomfortable with. Be it joy or sadness, it would affect his own personal mood, oftentimes for hours on end.

And then there were the images. Using magic photos hadn’t worked, confirming his hypothesis that they were in fact not _his_ memories. Thankfully his memory was vast, and so he was able to sketch them from said memory.

Not that it made him any wiser. One was of a forest full of brown pine trees, the next was a pair of brown eyes he did not, yet at the same time _did_ know. Many others had joined those over the course of that year. 

The thing that intrigued him most, were still those two words. 

**_Little light._ **

If there was one thing he supposed was clear from the past year, it was that _whatever_ this was, it was deepening. Feelings became sharper- more distinguishable, pictures became clearer. 

Those words, however?  
  
Nothing.

Pondering any more would not do any good. He had an empire to run. And, from what he could tell of the moon’s position through the storm clouds, about seven more hours till dawn.

\--

Well… Her cousin’s quinceanera had been a bust.

"Luz, ¿en qué estabas pensando?" Her mother said, not taking her eyes off the road, they were pulling into town now after an 8 hour drive and those were the only words she’d spoken the entire trip.  
  
She didn’t reply immediately, merely hugging her knees tighter before a quiet "Lo siento mami.” left her lips. 

“I don’t want to hear it Luz, when we get home you go to your room and you don’t come down until I say so, you understand me?” That time her mother did turn her head to look, and the look of sheer disappointment made her shrink further in on herself.”

“Yes.”

A few minutes later, they pulled into the driveway, and true to her word, Camilia immediately sent Luz to her room.

The young girl collapsed on her bed, burying her face in the pillow as she just laid there, replaying the past few days’ events over and over in her head.

_It wasn’t fair._

She’d been quiet throughout the entire Mass, she’d not accidentally tripped anyone during the waltz, she’d been playing tag with a few of her little cousins when the waltz was over and the dance floor had been mostly empty. One of them had pushed her a bit too hard when tagging, making her trip and stumble into a waiter, who’d then spilled twenty glasses of champagne over the quinceanera herself.

Immediately the girl who’d pushed her blamed her for everything. And all of them believed her.

She hadn’t even meant to, it had just _happened_ . Two other cousins of hers were there too, but they’d immediately blamed her as well, and as per usual, _nobody_ believed Luz the weirdo.

Not even her mom.

So, now Luz was probably gonna be grounded for like a month for something she didn’t even do. How fair… It almost made her want to cry. She probably would have, if not for a quiet sound that echoed throughout the room suddenly.

Was that… squeaking? Luz’ eyes focussed on the direction of the sound, which seemed to be coming from her…. Terrarium.

Ice shot through Luz’ veins  
  
 _No._ _  
__  
__nononononononono._ Luz’ thoughts blared as she leaped off the bed, crossing the room in three steps as she tore open the lid to the terrarium.

The scream she let out sent her mother bolting up the stairs, the door almost flew off the hinges as Camilia stormed into the room.

"Luz, ¿qué sucedió? ¡¿Estás bien?!" Her mother called out, voice laced with panic as she looked at her daughter.

Luz didn’t respond. Merely lifting her hands up so her mother could see. Camilia’s shocked intake of breath burst a dam, af if someone else seeing made it all the more real. Tears poured from her eyes.

“I told her not to.” She whispered, collapsing to her knees.

“I, I told her not to. Why doesn’t _anyone listen to me_!” This time it was a scream, which broke off into another pitiful sob. 

Her mother rushed off down the stairs, no doubt to dial up some animal hospital. 

Why hadn’t she listened? Why did NOBODY ever listen?! Even Miss Abigail didn’t. Luz had even written it down, they weren’t supposed to get live mice. They were too little for such a thing. But once again, had _anyone_ listened? No. She’d just thrown in a live mouse with Hecate, her smallest snake.

And now Hecate was in _pain_ and she was _bleeding_ and Luz could see bone from where the mouse had chewed deep, but just _thinking_ of that made her sick. The clumsy twitches she was making within Luz’ hands made it even worse.

She was _dying_ all because she- no. They didn’t listen to her. Nobody ever believed what _Luz the weirdo_ said. And now Hecate was dying because of that.

_It's not fair._ was all she could think. A warm feeling building up in her chest as she looked down again. Seeing the mangled form of her little noodle made her want to _scream_.

_It’s. Not. Fair._ This time her eyes opened again, as that warmth grew and grew, this time joined by a feeling of disgust and anger.

**_It’s not fair._ ** Something happened then. A warm tingly feeling encompassed every fibre of her being. She screwed her eyes shut as the room suddenly lit up. The feeling became more and more intensive and then. Just as soon as it had appeared, it was _gone_.

Luz didn’t open her eyes for a while. When she did, it was because of a weird, kinda stingy feeling on her thumb.

When her eyes opened. The sight before her made her tear up again.

Hecate was chewing on her thumb, Hecate. Hecate who wasn’t bleeding or missing chunks and didn’t have any bone showing.

_What? Who? Why? How?_ Luz didn’t care, breaking off into a teary chuckle as she nuzzled the grumpy snakes, tears pouring from her eyes, this time in happiness.

"Yo también le quiero, pequeño gruñón" she muttered. Shoulders sagging in relief as exhaustion set in.

Oh wait, her mom.  
  
She took off down the stairs, snake still in her hands as she yelled for her mother to stop calling.

\--

_Something has changed._ Was all he could think to himself.

  
  


He didn’t know why, or how, but something had. He’d been having that same dream again, finally crashing after two weeks of not sleeping. He had been drowning in that formless yet viscous liquid again. When _something_ had shattered apart the dreamscape.

A girl, a _human_ girl, based on the ears. She was sitting and crying and angry at something whilst she held something in her hands. And Belos felt _everything_.

_This_ was the person his bond led to, some insignificant little girl? 

Then, something happened. Something that had made him take back those thoughts immediately

A light erupted from the girl’s palms, bathing the entire mindscape in a light so bright he had to avert his eyes.

When he turned to look again, the girl was crying and smiling, and the relief hung so thick in the air it was almost _palpable._

Something else hung in the air too, something that by all accounts should be impossible. Yet, clear as can be, it was still there, and once again Belos found himself without an answer. That wasn’t possible, and yet, he’d felt it. It had washed over him like a tidal wave, and the residue was still present wherever this girl was.

The very air seemed to be soaked in it.

_Magic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, that was chapter 2. Hope you all enjoyed it, please let me know what you thought in the comments as they are seriously on of my favourite things, reading and replying to you guys' comments.
> 
> Edit: forgot to put the spanish translations here, so in order
> 
> "¿En serio Hec, otra vez?" - "Really hec, again?"
> 
> "Luz, ¿en qué estabas pensando?" - "Luz, what were you thinking?"
> 
> "Lo siento mami.” - "I'm sorry mom."
> 
> "Luz, ¿qué sucedió? ¡¿Estás bien?!" - "Luz, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
> 
> "Yo también le quiero, pequeño gruñón" - "Love you too, you little grump."


	3. fuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! 
> 
> Once again a massive shoutout to the awesome [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead)  
> for being an awesome beta reader and editor
> 
> Edit as of 20/09/2020, with Mr. and Mrs. Blight’s names revealed, Archibald will be changed to the canon name of Alador

The sun was cresting over the horizon, shining its first rays into many a home. Shops opened their doors as the island slowly came alive. Children prepared for school, while their parents prepared for a day of work and the day to come.

In the emperor’s castle, Belos had, as he had become accustomed to over the five years since that weird bond had manifested, not slept at all. To fill the time normally spent sleeping, he instead opted to write a myriad of new rulings he’d been needing today.

The council of covens would be convening in full strength today. Not a normal occurrence, to say the least. The hellish political climate in the upper echelons of the isles usually meant someone in a position such as coven leader would be likely to find themselves on the wrong end of a witches’ duel, or a curse- or an assassin's blade.

The prior leader of the oracle coven, a massive grey demon named Urtharion, had met such a fate a week before this particular meeting. He allowed himself a humourless chuckle at the irony of someone able to see into the future not able to see an assassin coming, but he didn’t spend it much of a further thought. 

After all, if he’d been weak enough to let a simple assassin do him in, he wasn’t worth much of a thought anyways.

Descending down from his tower, he found a pleasant sight at the bottom of the spiralling stairs. The owl-masked shade met him with a curt bow, taking a step back to let the emperor through.  
  
“I trust you completed your assignment?” A moot point really, they had never failed him before, and- as expected, a quick nod was his answer. 

“Excellent, I’m off to the council. I expect you know what to do?”  
  
Another quick nod, and the shade melted back into the shadows. He briefly thought about simply walking down to the lower depths of the castle, but decided against it. Instead, he envisioned the gigantic black stone room, with its round white table, carved out of the oldest spirit willow on the isles and the eleven seats placed around it, and, with a small bit of magic, he found himself wrapped in shadows as he teleported down to the council room.

He’d emerged from the darkness just outside the room, unable to warp straight into the chambers as there were three dozen enchantments to prevent getting in, or out of the room in such a manner. Instead, he silently watched the council whilst they waited for him, still unaware of his presence mere meters from them.

The level of coherency was about what he expected prior to him entering.

In other words, they were bickering like _children._

The heads of the abomination and plant covens, Alador Blight and Cirin Bellerose, were roaring profanities at each other, backed by their usual followers among the other covens. As per usual, the leader of the construction coven was not participating, instead opting to build a tiny diorama of the castle out of what looked like reeds. All the while, Lilith was trying to keep the two warring factions from ripping each other's throats out.

Well, he’d seen quite enough of- whatever _this_ was. So, he took a step forward. In an instant, all eyes were on him as the room fell silent.

“I- uh, welcome. My emperor.” Lilith was the first to find her words again, deeply bowing. Swiftly, the other coven heads followed suit, none daring to risk offending their emperor.

“Thank you for being here today.” He says, like they had a choice- as he takes his own seat. He motions the rest of them to sit down, and they all do. Looking at him without really looking _at_ him. Avoiding looking him in the eyes, most of all.

He’d heard two members discussing it, once. He’s pretty sure they were the previous potions and beast keeping coven heads, he’d stumbled across them in some outcropping somewhere whilst travelling via shadows, and had opted to listen in to sate his curiosity.

_There’s this aura. I can’t describe it, but it feels like you’re in the room with an apex predator. Always observing, always watching, always hunting._ Those were the words the prior head of the beast keeping coven had described him with, whilst the other one had nodded along to every word.

Kind words from a dead man, he supposes. Then again, in a place like the Boiling Isles it’s better to be feared, than to be loved.

It also meant having to be one step ahead. And he _always_ was a step ahead.

“Before we discuss the reason for you all being here, I wish to congratulate the newest member among our ranks.” He pointed at the newly appointed head of the Oracle coven, a black haired witch named Quill. The witch in question merely let out a weak “Thank you.” As the others politely clapped for him.

“Speaking of which.” As he said that, the massive obsidian doors opened behind him, his shade dragging in a tied up and bound figure.

“I believe you know this person?” He asked Quill, lifting up the bound shape off the floor and into the light.

An ugly, bloated thing, the bound up witch was. No doubt suffering from some kind of illness. He struggled and thrashed against his bindings, but they held firm.

Quill shook his head firmly, an act that made the unsightly witch’s struggling intensify.

  
“Are you sure?” Belos asked once more, snapping his fingers. The bound witch began screaming as the bindings constricted around him, suddenly no longer mere rope but eyeless serpents that were hissing at him with open mouths. Quill still refused to meet either of their gazes.

“I don’t really know why I’m asking you, he’s already confessed everything.” Another snap, and the snakes had been turned to rope again, the assassin apparently thought the best use of that newfound development was to scream and cry at an annoyingly loud volume.

“Throw him in the dungeons.” The guards positioned around the room nodded as they dragged the witch out of the room.

That should get the point across, he reckoned. Turning to look at Quill again, the man had somehow gotten a few shades paler as he seemed to try and sink into his chair.

“Quite short sighted, don’t you think? The leader of the oracle coven failed to see such a thing coming.” The black haired witch shrunk in on himself as the mocking laughter of the fellow coven leaders rang out.

“Please don’t be so quick to mock, Alador. I know you were the one that came up with the plan in the first place.” He couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth twitch up in joy as the head of the abomination coven’s mouth shut with an audible “click” whilst looking outraged at the suggestion.

“Don’t worry, neither of you will face… repercussions, for this. I just thought it would be best if such a thing were brought to light, for clarity's sake. You do understand, do you?” Both of them shakily nodded, whilst the other coven heads sent them death glares that had the corners of his mouth quirk up.  
  


 _Well then, that’s that._ He supposed, satisfied with the hostile atmosphere. Onto the main event.

Standing up, arms wide as he towers over the rest of the gathering. He begins to speak, his words echoing off the walls as the ten before him hang onto his every word.

“You ten, you stand at the apex of magic. None match your guile, strength or wisdom. And as such, you are the only ones with which I can share plans of this magnitude. The titan has spoken once more, in its infinite wisdom imparting a message that shines a light upon our next cause of action.” He lets the words hang in the air for a bit, looking on as they turn to each other. confusedly bickering among themselves.

All but one.

“Could you please elaborate, my emperor?” Lilith asks, ever the inquisitive soul.

“The day of unity is upon us.”

\--

Hours have passed since then. Time spent planning and discussing as they lay the foundation of what is to come. The sun is high in the skies when the last of the council members depart, leaving him sat alone within the black chambers, lost deep within thought.

All was going exactly as planned, victory was close enough that he could almost _taste_ it. 

He shook his head, chastising himself for presumptuous celebrating, _if_ it worked victory over the only enemy that truly mattered would be his. But should it fail..

No, he wouldn't allow it to fail.

He _couldn’t._

A pang of annoyance, not his own- shot through him then, though something felt off about it. Suddenly it shifted into wonder and then...

It all faded into nothingness… Briefly, he wondered if something had happened to the child, before he felt it again. Wonder. Pure, unadulterated wonder. 

This was different than any other time. Before, He’d described the feelings as standing in the basking glow of a campfire. This felt like he was standing in the fire itself. There was a rawness. A purity that he’d never felt before.

It almost felt like a veil had been lifted, like some sort of blindfold had been torn from his eyes. 

Three years ago, he’d finally gotten a glimpse of the other end of the bond, yet never had he felt a thing like this. 

It felt right, like a part of him that had been missing had found its way back. He didn’t know how to feel about that particular fact, though.

The last time he’d felt like this, was when this bond had originated all those years ago. The time before that, it had been a night he remembered in perfect detail. Smoke rose from the battlefield, fires roared into the night as they celebrated and chanted in harmony. The day he’d won the final battle, the day he’d claimed sovereignty over the Boiling Isles.

The worst night of his life.

Another pang hit him, though this time less noticeable, barely so even. Compared to the one before that, this felt- well for lack of a better word it felt like it wasn’t calling out to him, as all those prior flashes had been. This one seemed content to simply make its presence known before disappearing back to wherever it had come from.

A sudden…. tiredness overcame him. How long had it been since he’d slept? A month? Two? He honestly couldn’t remember.

Well, night was still a few hours away.

He could put it off a little while longer.

\--

_Well_ , _today has certainly been a ride._ Luz thought, bundled up within her sleeping bag as she faced her first night in another realm. 

She’d already quashed the urge to write something about today, because quite frankly? A story whose summary begins with “How a failed book presentation lead to me living with a witch in a demon realm.” would _definitely_ get her sent to Camp Reality Check. She shuddered at the thought.

And to think, if she hadn’t followed Owlbert, she’d have missed all of this.

And what a thing she would have missed. She’d never have met Eda, or King… or Hooty, she wouldn’t have broken _into_ a prison to save a Burger Queen crown, she wouldn’t have saved Eda from a grumpy ex- or was it a scorned suitor? But yeah, escaping from Warden Wrath had been amazing and exhilarating.

It was like a dream come true. Weirdest thing about that? 

_Not_ a figure of speech. Luz had seen those very streets. Bonesborough had sounded _familiar_ . She’d _seen_ that weird centipede-vore-bus-thing. Before, she’d always _known_ that Griffons had looked like that, and lo and behold.

It was insane- they’d called her insane for mentioning such things many times, too many to count. And here she was- and it felt right. 

It felt, well- it felt like home, she supposed.

The room basked in a faint light as she fished her phone from her pocket, _damn._ No reception, though with the whole “demon realm” thing she should’ve expected that one. She was pretty sure wi-fi towers didn’t transcend reality. Would have been cool if they did.

Alas, no AMVs for her, though she had a feeling she’d be too busy with all the witch training tomorrow and the days after that to really have any time to herself at all.

_Luzura, greatest mage to have ever lived._ A childhood dream that was actually coming to reality. Take that, bullies! Oh just imagining the looks on their faces when she comes back… The mental image of wide eyes and slack jaws is enough to have her snort in amusement, turning in her sleeping bag as her shoulders shake with laughter.

Oh, that was going to be great. Tomorrow was gonna be the start of the story of Luz the witch.

She couldn’t wait to learn how to shoot fire, or how to create ice from thin air, or to brew potions and so many other things. If she’d listed them all she would probably be here till morning, and that wouldn’t be good, so turning off the phone she snuggled further into the sleeping bag as her eyes drooped, heavy from the running and the- no mainly from all the running.

Her eyes slowly but surely shut themselves, as a million ideas ran amuck in her head.

When her eyes opened again, darkness greeted her. Well, it wasn’t completely dark, where was some light coming from _somewhere._ Though all it did was shine on a whole load of nothing.

There were no smoky mountains, no beast filled woods or busy towns, just her. Alone with herself.

Yeah that wasn’t gonna do.

She tried to stretch her legs, only to find them curiously absent. Never one to let a mere lack of motor function stop her, she just _willed_ herself forward.

It _actually_ worked, and not just forwards, up, down, side to side, soon enough she was pulling off all sorts of aerial acrobatics, the only indication of which being the slight lightheadedness and the turning of her stomach, which she didn’t mind. Because it wasn’t like peeing right? Where if you pee in a dream you pee in real life.

Yeah… she’d rather not test that theory. So she slowed down a bit, instead flying at a slow pace throughout the void.

Suddenly though. Something stopped her, moving was impossible- no matter how much she willed it, she just wouldn’t budge. 

Suddenly, something moved. A shadow that didn’t move like a shadow.

_Ah great, this is where the dream becomes a nightmare_. She grumbled within her mind.

What stepped forth from the darkness wasn’t what she’d expected however.

The _what_ wasn’t some kind of eldritch abomination, or a werewolf or some other creature.

Wasn’t even a what, more of a _who_ really.

A him, to be exact.

The man was, well pale wasn’t the right word. Eda was pale, Greg from three houses over was pale.

This man was simply _white_ , as if whatever pigment he’d had somehow had pranced off along with his smile, because the frown he wore looked like it was chiseled onto his face.

A full black beard and long dark locks framed the pure white of his face, a thick nose that looked like it had been broken many times and never once had been set correctly. A few scars on his cheeks, one running from his right cheek to his chin, cutting his beard on that side in half.

The most striking thing about him, however, were his eyes.

Blue, the single most blue colour she’d ever seen shone from those eyes. But that wasn’t the oddest part about them.

Blue was the only colour in those eyes. There was no white sclera, or small red veins.

It was simply pitch black, as if behind them there was simply, _nothing_.

A hand reached out then, straight for her. And she suddenly was aware of just how _big_ this man was. He was easily twice her height. _Literally_. So, when that massive paw came down, almost touching her face, she did what any fourteen year old would have done.

She _screamed._

\--

Something _had_ changed. This confirmed it, he thought to himself as he walked through the darkness.

Unlike any dream, well _that_ dream he’d been having these past five years, there was no wind. No ridiculous shift in temperature or thick liquid he was stood in, the space was still as dark as ever, though.

He supposed, compared to the dream he’d had these five years. This was something he could get used to, but. It did mean he was just- _standing_ in a dark, well he didn’t know the word to accurately describe the place he currently found himself in, void? Space? Something along those lines he supposed.

Warily, unsure of any trickery. He lifted a foot, finding it as easy as lifting his feet when awake. Suddenly he noticed something else.  
  
He could feel the weight of his cloak upon his back, the cool metal of his mask over his face. It wasn’t just cutting winds or boiling air. He could actually feel things for a change.

Vindicated by his findings, he took a step forward. And then another, and another, and he didn’t stop. He didn’t know where he was walking to- if he was actually walking towards some far off destination or if he was walking in place.

He didn’t find himself caring all that much. 

Suddenly however, the darkness wasn’t so dark anymore. A light, _that_ light was in front of him.

Cautiously, he took a step forward, not very keen on getting blasted back into the real word just yet.

It did nothing, though. No flashes, no shockwave. Nothing. Not even when he was a mere foot away from it.

When his hand reached for it however, a different story.

He’d lifted his arm about four, five inches. And suddenly a scream tore through the void like a slitherbeast rampaging through a city.

“ **GET AWAY!** ”

He had enough time for one thought, before he found himself back in his chambers, panting and sweating as he woke up.

That single thought being.

_What._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that, once again I'd ask you all to please leave your thoughts in the commetns, I love reading them and I try responding to as many as I can.
> 
> 'Till next time!


	4. Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, all I can say is here's chapter 4, and once again I'd like to give a massive shout-out to the awesome [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) For editing this chapter
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this

This trip wasn’t a total bust, Luz supposed.  
  
Truth be told, she’d not been looking forward to the trip to the emperor’s castle. From what Eda had told her, the guy was downright draconian with his rule over the isles. Sadly enough, it was mandatory, and she’d been shepherded along with the rest of the students as they travelled to the depths of the titan’s chest.

There, in the middle of a squared out hole, sat the emperor’s castle, rising out from the depths like a sort of man (witch?) made mountain.  
  
 _Wait a minute._

She was pretty sure she remembered this, she’d drawn it before. She’d even used it as the location for a final boss in her DnD campaign a few years back.

She still had no clue what it all meant, when she’d shown Eda her drawings, explaining the dreams she’d been having for over five years the older witch had frowned before muttering that she’d never seen such a thing before. She’d promised to look into it in the future.  
  
The _other_ dream however, the one she’d had on her very first night in the isles? She’d not breathed a word of that one, not even to Eda. Thinking about it still unnerved her a month later.

Her little reminiscing session almost made her miss something awesome.  
  
 _A hat that heals all curses?_ That was something she could use to heal Eda’s curse! She’d begun drafting up a plan on a random piece of paper she’d stuffed in the hood of her uniform when suddenly, a door had slammed open.

Eda’s sister had walked in, twigs and leaves in her ruffled hair, cheeks red and scratched up as she all but stormed off down the hallway. 

When the tiny red tour guide had mentioned her going to see the emperor, she decided to sneak after the cloaked witch.

“Curiosity killed the cat” is what people often say, but she wasn’t a cat. And she’d left her cat eared hoodie at the Owl House, is what she told herself as she creeped after the witch, until finally, they came to what appeared to be the emperor’s room.

When she heard the doors slam shut, she followed into the hallway, sidling up to the keyhole in the middle and peeking into the room.

It was massive. Guards were stationed all over the throne room, standing motionlessly in rows as a massive heart beat, suspended by pipes above the throne- the _occupied_ throne.

_So that’s Emperor Belos._ She thought.

He didn’t look like he was doing too well.  
  
Even from what must have been at least forty meters, she could see the frantic way his shoulders heaved, he was slumped over the side of his throne and… someone was handing him something?   
  
She realized an instant too late that it was a palisman, before the emperor’s finger ripped through its wooden body, decapitating the poor thing before pouring the green liquid inside into the black holes of his mask.   
  
Bile rose in her throat as she took a horrified step back, turning around to rush away.   
  
As she rounded the corner, however, she slammed face first into a wall, sending her sprawling to the ground.   
  


She shook her head, feeling an oncoming headache from the force of the blow as she looked up.  
  
Not a wall.

“Going somewhere?” 

All she could do was stare open mouthed at the black holes within the emperor’s golden mask.

The mask cocked to the side, making her flinch at the movement.

  
“Well?”

He took one step forward, a _single_ step. But it triggered Luz’ fight or flight reflexes in a way that not even Grom had managed to, scrambling to her feet she bolted past the emperor as fast as her legs could carry her, taking off down the hallway at breakneck speeds, not daring to look back.

She took the stairs five steps at a time, and had barrelled over seven guards and used a hastily drawn fire rune to set the eighth guy’s cloak on fire in her mad dash through the almost labyrinth like structure that made up the castle.  
  
 _There._ At the edge of the hallway she could see the spiralling staircase she’d come from originally, all she needed to do was-

Her train of thought was abruptly halted when suddenly the floor between her and the staircase began writhing, eyeless snake-like things sprouting from it in seemingly random intervals and sizes.

She stumbled back when one of them snapped at her, almost taking a bite out of her ankle, and before she knew it she felt herself being lifted off of the ground by her hood.

“Well, that wasn’t very polite of you.”   
  
She froze, going stiff as she realized just _who_ was holding her. 

“Don’t do that again.” He said, and slowly he set her back down onto the ground, thankfully placing the hood back over her head. She didn’t want to know what would happen if _he_ found out about her being a human of all things.

“Now then.” She flinched again, before slowly turning to face him, she had to crane her neck upwards to the point of it nearly hurting to get a look at the masked visage of the emperor.

“I take it you’re with the field trip from Hexside?” He asked, no doubt noticing her uniform. Her lips and lungs seemingly refused to work properly, she did barely manage a shaky nod in confirmation.

“Thought so, please entertain me however, I don’t recall those colours you’re wearing belonging to a coven. Which one are you studying for.” An armoured hand emerged from his cloak, waving at her uniform.

This time, she did manage a verbal response.  
  
“A-all of them.”   
  
_All of them?_

His head cocked to the side, making the intruder flinch. Since when had Bump made the option to study every track a thing? He supposed it would make sense for those hoping for a spot in the emperor’s coven, but he’d be having words with Bump about implementing such a change without his say-so.

Now, where was he.  
  
Oh yes, the child in front of him.

There was… _something_ off about her. He was curious as to how she’d even managed to find the throne room, even more so about how the guards had failed to spot her, this tiny girl who was trembling before him, pulling her hood over her head and trying to make herself as small as possible.

Pathetic. If this scrawny little thing could best his security, there needed to be a fair few _drastic_ reforms.

The fact she was refusing to meet his gaze was wearing his nerves thin too, he grasped the girl’s hood, preparing to yank it down so she’d have nothing to hide behind, but the girl pulled away. That little motion made the back of his gauntleted hand graze her cheek.

_Darkness._

Suddenly he wasn’t standing in the halls of his palace anymore, he was within a very familiar dreamscape, standing in front of that shining thing again. Though there was one, massive difference.  
  
HIs hand was outstretched, he was touching it.

_Touching it._

The light dimmed, then. Without preamble or warning, and suddenly it wasn’t a light he was touching anymore.   
  
Brown eyes, wide with terror, looked at him, he yanked his arm back, taking a step back as his mind tried to comprehend the new development.

He didn’t know how long they were standing there, simply looking at each other in confusion and terror. ten seconds? A day? But when he spoke, she spoke the same word back.

“You.” They parrotted one another.

And suddenly, the dreamscape wasn’t so dark anymore. They were only flashes, glimpses of parts of memories that felt like they were still locked away somewhere. But both of them felt a sense of familiarity regarding them, a feeling that told him these weren’t figments of the imagination or some illusion spell cast by a third party.  
  
These were _real._

That made the revelation they presented the two of them with, so much more meaningful, and _terrifying._

A melody began then, one hummed by some unseen entity, leaving them looking around frantically, trying to locate the source of the sound. When a voice finally joined the humming, he saw a pang of recognition dance across the girl- Luz’ face, though he himself found the words’ meaning lost to him.

That is, until a second voice rang out, and even though as before the words that were sung prior were not ones he understood, the voices… Now that was a shock, he was able to differentiate two different ones. The first one was female, heavily accented and melodic, beautiful.

The second?

His own.  
  
 **“Sleep well, little light.”**

And then they were back in the hallway, as everything crashed into him at once his knees buckled, sending him to the floor a panting mess, shoulders heaving as he clutched his scalp underneath his mask. The gi- Luz was not doing any better it seemed, sunk to her knees and looking despondently at him, he noticed the beginnings of tears welling up in her eyes. 

“-mperor, Emperor Belos!” He vaguely heard the thunder of footsteps as Lilith and a dozen guards stormed into the hall.  
  


The girl’s eyes grew wide, and he saw her scrambling back, when she almost crawled backwards into the summoned serpents a quick snap of his fingers returned the hallway back to normal. Leaving the girl a clear path as she got to her feet and bolted once more, this time at an even greater speed.

She’d barely rounded the corner into the spiralling staircase when Lilith had come up beside him. Looking worriedly down at him.

“My emperor, are you alright?” The worried tone annoyed him, but the sentiment he supposed was appreciated. He gave a nod of affirmation, she turned back to the guards that had come with her.

“Find the intruder-”  
  
He raised a hand, cutting off her speech. “No need for that, dear Lilith.” 

“My emperor?” The tone had him frowning, his gaze wandered from her concerned face, following her eyes as- huh, that was new.

His hand was shaking.

  
Dissolving into a formless pile he rearranged himself standing again, towering over all others in the hall.

“Leave her be, t’was merely a student that took the wrong corner somewhere.”

“But-” Lilith began, but a glare from him fixed her in place, the guards behind her discreetly took a few steps back.

“I appreciate the concern for my safety, Lilith. But the titan’s will is to be followed.” 

That seemed to do the trick, the raven haired witch stood down, visibly uneasy still but not willing to face the emperor’s wrath over defying the titan’s will.

“Apologies, my emperor.” He waved her off, taking off back towards his throne room, parting the guards as they hastily stood aside to let him pass. He could hear the clacking of heels behind him, and sure enough his coven’s leader was walking alongside him the next moment.

“If I may be so bold, what purpose did you summon me for?” The raven haired witch inquired.

“Another time, apologies for the inconvenience. you are dismissed.” Her footsteps fell silent as he left her behind. 

As he walked through the halls, taking the exact same route he’d followed the girl through from the shadows, his mind was struggling to comprehend what had been revealed.

He made it up to the door to his throne room, before he was forced to accept that getting anything else done today was a pipe dream. So he shifted up into the tower. Not his room or the study where he did most of his work, but the room where he’d been archiving this strange bond.

He took two steps into the room before he dragged over a chair, collapsing into it with a sigh as he cast a spell to lock the door.

He took a look around the room, gazing over the various glimpses he’d been given over the years, until his eyes found a particular drawing.  
  
The- Luz was sat on her knees, crying as she held something, some kind of serpent? In her hands, he’d done a decent job with her he supposed, though he could notice a few details he’d gotten wrong.

Once more, the new reality of the situation slammed into him, taking off his mask, he gently laid it on the little table he was sitting next to. He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a shaky breath at the headache he could feel coming.

_This…. Certainly complicates things._

\--

Luz was _definitely_ not ok.

Willow was pretty sure Gus had noticed too, when they’d stumbled onto Luz she’d been trembling, eyes darting back and forth and taking panicked breaths. She’d wordlessly taken her beloved notepad back with just a quiet “thanks” and had proceeded to completely quash any suggestion of going after that hat of healing.

So, despite her multiple assurances that she was indeed “fine” and that there was “nothing to worry about” Willow wasn’t buying it, at all.

But, that would be something for next week she supposed, Luz had bolted the second they’d arrived back at Hexside, taking off into the woods as she ignored Gus and Willow trying to call her back.

She just hoped Luz would tell them when she was ready. 

\--

_Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out don’t freakoutdontfreakoutdontfreakout._ _  
_ _  
_ “AAAAAH.” She screamed, the sound echoing off into the woods. How could she not? This was insane, this had to be some kind of spell, o- or curse? Yeah! A curse would make more sense than what she’d seen there. And if she could just convince herself of it actually _being_ a curse instead of.. _that._ She gladly would have, hell she was trying even now.

Her hands flew into her hair, she tried to screw her eyes shut- to somehow remove the images that even now flashed through her mind’s eye. But every time she tried it had the adverse effect. As if somehow further cementing it as the truth.

It _terrified_ her.

Just… how was she gonna tell Gus, or- or Willow? Or Amity?!  
  
Her eyes widened, fear clutching at her heart.

What would Eda think? She couldn't lie, Eda saw through those within microseconds, and she’d pressure Luz until she broke and then- and then...

Would she be mad? Would she shout and scream and chase her out of the Owl House, or would she be disgusted and disappointed, simply telling her to pack her things and not come back.

Her breathing picked up as panic set in, she could see the house from between the trees but her feet refused to move her closer.

Was this is? Was this her last day in the place of her dreams?  
  
The thought itself made tears well up in the corner of her eyes, she furiously rubbed them away with her sleeve.

_No._ She wasn’t gonna break down.

That’s what she repeated as she began walking towards the owl house

_No. I’m not going to break down._

  
She spotted Hooty’s ever-smiling face at the same time he spotted her, extending from his spot in the front door.

“Hiya Luuuuuzzzz, how was school today?” He asked in that obnoxious voice of his.

_I won’t break down._

“I-it was fine, mind if I come in?”

“Okaaayyyyy.” With that the door swung open, revealing a dark interior. Seemed like Eda and King weren’t home, that should at least buy her a bit of time and why was there a cake there on the coffee table?  
  
Suddenly a small shape burst from the cake, revealing itself to be king in all his adorable glory.

“The cake is me!”

_I won’t._

“What’s with the surprise?” She asked nervously as she walked further into the house, moving to sit down on the couch as the tiny dog-demon extracted himself from the cake.

A dark blue bundle, neatly wrapped up in purple ribbons was dropped in her lap then, followed swiftly by a hand ruffling her hair, she couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden contact. Slowly looking at the person touching her hair.

“It’s for you kid, whaddya think?” 

Eda.  
  
“I-I.” She tried, slowly unwrapping the bundle to reveal a beautiful cloak made out of witches’ wool. A small paper note fell out onto the floor then, she scooped it up.

  1. _won’t._



She turned it around.

**To a young witch, from her proud mentor.** **  
  
**

**-Eda**

Her eyes stung with tears once more, and she quickly put the cloak aside before they began flowing freely.

_I-I.._

“By the way, how was the trip to ol’ bonehead’s castle… Kid?” She looked at Eda, finding a concerned look on the face of the witch, and just _broke down._

She found arms wrapped around her then, as a weight settled next to her on the couch.

“Kid, what’s wrong? Tell me.” The older woman gently pried, wrapping the small girl up in a “hug”

“Y-you’ll hate me.” Was all the young witch in training managed before she buried herself firmly in Eda’s embrace, who in turn hugged her tighter, king scrambled up the sofa then, placing himself between them as he hugged Luz’ midsection as tightly as he could.

Eda scoffed “Nonsense kid, please, you know you can tell me what’s wrong.” She pried gently, and it seemed to work, as the young witch-in-training extracted herself slowly from the embrace.

She took a few breaths, bracing herself for _something_ it seemed as she stood up from the couch, before her lips opened

“Belos…” She stopped there, as if afraid to continue.

Eda’s eyes _burned_ with hatred, clenching her dress with such force that small tears were beginning to form in the red fabric.

“Belos.. he’s-” Luz tried again. This time Eda sprang up from the couch

_What has that tyrant done._ Was the singular thought on Eda’s mind, the photos were rattling and some of the furniture was beginning to float.

“What has he done to you, if he’s hurt even a hair on your head I swear to the titan I will _end_ him.

“He’s my Father!” Luz forced out, eyes screwed shut and fists clenched at her side.

Eda’s anger washed away, in the blink of an eye.

“What?”

**_Father?_ **   
  
“I- I just found out today, I swear!, but I understand if you don’t want me around anymore.” She trailed off, shoulders slumped “I’ll uh, go grab my stuff.” She pointed in the direction of her room, moving to grab her stuff when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.   
  
“Not so fast.” Eda’s voice rang out, tone dangerously monotone   
  


Luz clenched her fists again, preparing for what was to come as she was spun around shouting? Or cold dismissal?

Being swept up into a bone crushing hug wasn’t an option she’d even considered. But as the older woman’s arms wrapped around her, her chin resting on the girl’s head she broke down again. This time in relief as she collapsed to the floor, Eda keeping her close as she sobbed into the witch’s dress, king’s tiny paws came up around her waist and even Hooty’s tube like form wrapped itself around them.

“Silly girl, you thought I’d kick you out just for that?” Eda gently chided, feeling small wet droplets prick at her own eyes, Luz didn’t respond, merely holding her mentor tighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, I'm betting at least 50% of you are screaming at me at this point, I can sense it. If you have anything to say. I'd adore hearing about it


	5. Errands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I'm unsure if I'll be able to write a chapter this week due to school, so I decided to write one over the weekend, I hope you all like it
> 
> Once again I'm just gonna shout out [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) for her awesome editing
> 
> Ps: Due to Mr. Blight's name having been revealed post chapter 3 I edited it, he used to be called Archibald, and has now been renamed Alador

A Shade’s purpose is to serve.

It is to devote yourself fully, to be the Emperor’s advisor, confidante, protector, right hand and assassin.

To be a Shade, most of all, is to observe. To notice any minute detail, from the differences in fabrics used in flags and how they wave in the wind, someone might have woven explosive magic into it and nobody would be any the wiser until it was too late.  
  
It was the Shade’s purpose to notice that, among ten thousand other things.

To pick out traitors from single words spoken in passing, to be able to notice enchantments and curses by the way they made the wind around them reek and the magic in the air shift _slightly_. 

To notice, oftentimes meant picking up things you didn’t intend to.

Even if the Shade hadn’t, it would still be hard to _not_ notice the emperor’s current situation, since that was painfully obvious to anyone who was even playing the closest bit of attention.

That really said a lot about the rest of the coven. Then again the guards had seen fit to let a fourteen year old girl slip up to the throne room unseen, and the coven’s leader hadn’t even noticed the intrusion.

Ever since that day, the Emperor’s demeanor had shifted. It was almost imperceivable, to anyone but the Shade.

The way his responses were sometimes a microsecond too slow, or the slight tensing of his shoulders when guards stumbled around the corner. The fidgeting of his hands under his cloak or the minute tapping of his feet.

_Something_ was bothering the Emperor. But that didn’t matter to the Shade, the Shade’s business wasn’t to question or to make their observations known.

It was to follow the Emperor’s orders. Without question or hesitation.  
  
_And would you look at that?_  
  
The emperor’s hand moved, and had anyone else had been in the room besides the two of them, they would have brushed it off as the Emperor simply choosing to move his hand a few inches, if they noticed it at all. 

The Shade wasn’t “anyone else” 

So, they stepped forwards out of the shadows without a word, and waited.

“The intruder, the one from a few days ago. She is a human going by the name of Luz Noceda, get close to her, protect her and observe, you will receive more orders in time.”  
With a wordless nod, the Shade stepped back into the shadows. There was a job that needed doing.

\--

When Eda had been twenty-one, her life had been a mess. She was the most wanted criminal on the Isles, constantly on the run from the emperor and her sister, homeless and living from whatever she could scrounge up.

One cold night the night market had something different in stock, something produced in the armpit that apparently was amazing at letting one forget their problems for a night. The thick black liquid apparently was enough per flask to knock even the biggest of trolls on their ass.

Eda had bought, and _drank_ six of them.

The resulting rampage, and it really couldn’t be called anything _but_ a rampage. Had ended with the houses of people Eda remembered vaguely disliking in school being in ruins, afterwards she’d opened a portal to the human realm, eloped with some “Pines” guy in a place called Las Vegas, ran off with every cent the guy had, and had promptly fallen asleep in a money-nest in a hollowed out tree stump.

The reason for bringing that up? Well she’d been pretty sure in her forty-plus years of life that nothing would ever be able to beat that night in terms of weird things that had happened to her.

The events of the last few days had comfortably pushed that to no. 2.

Luz, the spunky little human that had somehow wormed her way into a spot in Eda’s heart she’d thought dead for years, Luz who’d contemplated going to Grom as an _otter_ and who thought that King was the cutest thing in the world.

That Luz.

Was Belos’ _daughter._

The thought itself was just… _what_ . Not that Eda wanted _any_ knowledge of what that tyrant apparently did in his free time. The mere fact he apparent did posess a sex drive had caused her to lose her lunch. What Hooty had afterwards done to said lunch had made Luz lose _her_ lunch.  
  


They had to throw King out the window when his bony face turned green to prevent him from making it a three for three.

That had been an…. _uncomfortable_ night for all parties involved.

The poor girl had been devastated the day she’d found out, she’d spilled her guts to Eda, rambling about things she’d seen that didn’t make sense yet did, and a song her mother had sung to her when she was little. And that apparently Belos had been _there_.

Eda suspected that Luz still hadn’t fully accepted the situation, as the next day she’d been back to her bright and cheery self.

  
_Almost._ It was very obvious that the whole new reality of things weighed heavily on her, but she didn’t seem eager to talk to Eda about it.

Well, not that Eda could blame the kid. She’d been pretty vocal about her, to put it lightly, _dislike_ for Belos.

That the kid had thought she’d be kicked out merely for being that bastard’s daughter that had stung a lot more than Eda was comfortable admitting.

If anything, it had made her _even more_ proud of just how wonderful Luz had turned out. And if she, somewhere in the back of her mind suspected the fact that Belos simply hadn’t been part of her life had something to do with it, she wasn’t _ever_ going to vocalize that.

However, as happy as the owl house’s residents were to simply ignore the new way of things. There were definitely going to be some changes that had to be made.

“C’mon Eda, I’ve been to Bonesborough on my own plenty of times before.” Luz whined as Eda grabbed her things.

“I know you don’t like it kiddo, but we both know going into town right now alone isn’t a good call.”  
  
_He might be looking for you._

It was unsaid, but both of them knew that was the reason for Luz’ new chaperone rule. Luz’ eyes clouded over with emotion as they turned towards the floor.

“Okay.”

“Chin up kiddo.” Eda said, pulling the young girl’s new witches’ wool cloak over her head. “Maybe you can show your friends this new toy of yours?”  
  
That seemed to brighten up the girl’s mood considerably. Which meant Eda had about four or five seconds to get them out of the door and onto Owlbert before the inevitable excited squealing began.

She’d made it with about half a second to spare, the wind whipping through their hair as they ascended up above the pine trees. 

Eda frowned as she saw a white cloak disappear behind a tree a little further into the woods. It confirmed her theory.

_He_ **_was_ ** _looking._

But, that was something to deal with later. Right now they had to stock up on some apple blood, among other things.

As they landed on the edge of town, things seemed the same all around, same bustling streets and cheery attitude. Both of them found themselves unable to fully enjoy the atmosphere though, with the looming threat of the emperor’s coven hanging over their heads.

“Well, I’m off to get some elixir, would you mind getting me the apple blood?” Luz nodded excitedly as the owl lady placed a small pouch with a few hundred snails in her hands. She moved to run off to the store before realizing something.

“Eda… Where exactly is the store?”  
  
The owl lady facepalmed, before tiredly answering the question.  
  
“Across the market, third street on the right, it’s the small shop on the left. Owner’s a big blonde demon by the name of Gary.” Luz nodded, before running off again.

  
“Remember, grab some of the strong stuff too!” She called after the retreating girl.  
  


Eda couldn’t help but worry slightly as the girl ran off, but at most she was a few hundred meters away, and one of the coins had a tracking spell put on it that would notify her if any irregularities happened.

And woe to the person that tried to grab her when Eda found them.

Thankfully, Morton ended up having a lot in stock, she bought almost all of it. Explaining that her curse had grown worse and inquiring about some stronger potions, he’d replied that he’d look into it before disappearing back into the shop.

She was just about to head over to Luz when something caught her eye, it was brightly coloured, overly flashy and way too sappy for her tastes.  
  
A new Azura book had apparently come out, if the posters were anything to go by. 

_Poor girl must’ve forgotten with everything going on_. She spared a glance, seeing the girl nowhere as she pulled out her pouch.

Still a few hundred snails left, more than enough for a book. Eda supposed it wouldn’t do any harm to get the girl something as she moved to where the posters were pointing her.

And _then_ she saw the line.

_You better be grateful._ She growled mentally, shoulders slumping in annoyance as she moved to the back of the line, preparing for a very boring few hours.

“The things I do for you kiddo.”

\--

_Is this it?_ Luz thought as she looked at the shop, it was small and dark and there was a weird smell coming off of it.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she saw a white cloaked figure with an odd mask disappearing around the corner, her heart hammered in her chest as her mind made the connection.

_Screw it._ Luz bolted into the show, slamming the door shut behind her as she went.

The store from within looked a lot better than from the outside, polished stone floor and dark wooden counters filled with jugs of apple blood, her eyebrows quirked up in interest as she spotted something on the countertop.

It was in a cage, a really basic one. Two wooden planks with iron bars between them, as she crept closer her eyebrows knitted together.

It did kinda look like an apple, she supposed… Though the twelve spider-like legs, the little wings and the four sets of eyes made it resemble some kind of spider thing too… Slowly she reached a finger out, trying to pet the little creature.

The moment her hand passed between the bars however, the entire creature seemed to split open, revealing a gaping maw with hundreds, if not thousands of teeth. If not for the cage suddenly being yanked back, she probably would have lost a hand, regardless of her stumbling backwards and landing on her butt.

“Oww.” She whined as a faint chuckle rang out. The cage was placed back on the counter and a hand appeared in front of her eyes. She took it and was promptly dragged back up on her feet.

“Well then, I don’t reckon you’ll be trying that again?” Luz blinked as she took in the woman in front of her.

_Wow_. Was all that her mind supplied before her cheeks flushed.

She was tall, as tall as Eda whilst not wearing heels, as for how she looked? Beautiful didn’t even begin to describe it, shoulder length hair so black that when the light hit it at a certain angle, it mimicked a starry sky, a pair of pointy ears just poking out from between the raven locks, framing a pale face with shining light blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a short sleeved shirt that revealed toned arms.

_Wait a second?_  
  
“You don’t look like a Gary.” She blurted out, causing the woman to let out an amused snort.

“Yeah, you’d be right about that.Gary passed away a few days back, I’m the new owner. Name’s Gwendolyn, but call me Gwen.” The woman offered a hand, which Luz hesitantly shook. 

“You’re not from around here, are you?” She said as Luz withdrew her hand.

“Uh, what makes you say that?” She muttered nervously.

“Well, the ears. And the fact you just tried to pet one of those, but mainly the ears.”  
  
_Oh crap._ Luz thought, the cloak must have fallen off of her head when she’d fallen to the floor.

“So, you’re the human that’s got the emperor’s coven in such a tizzy outside?” Luz paled a few shades as the woman continued, moving back to the other side of the counter.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna call those nitwits in on you. Would only lose me a valuable customer.” The way she’d said that made Luz relax, albeit _slightly._

“Speaking of which, you might want to put that cloak back over your head, few of em coming down the street.” The black haired witch muttered. Luz quickly obliged, yanking the hood back over her head.

“Anyways, what can I do for you?”  
  
Luz fished out the pouch of coins from her pocket, placing it on the counter. “I’d like to buy some apple blood, a few strong ones too.” The raven haired shopkeeper grabbed the pouch from the counter, weighing it in her hands before opening it.

The shopkeeper let out a low whistle. “Damn, you doing shopping for the month or something?” Luz nodded.

“Aight then, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a list of Gary’s around here somewhere, you mind telling me which name you normally use?”  
  
Luz fiddled a bit with her thumbs, before answering “Edalyn Clawthorne.”  
  
To her surprise, Gwendolyn’s mood didn’t change, she merely nodded.  
  


“Let’s see, at least thirty boxes, twenty bottles and- yeesh four pitchers of the strong stuff?” She looked over at the human for an explanation, but Luz just shrugged.  
  


“Not my business to judge.” She muttered, drawing a quick magic circle in the air, in the back room behind her the noises of clinking bottles began ringing out.  
  
“It’ll probably take a few minutes for everything to be ready, so you’re gonna have to wait here for a bit.”  
  
“Eh, I don’t mind.” Luz replied, before her eyes found the weird apple like creature in the cage again.

“Is apple blood really, y’know? Blood?” She couldn’t help but wonder.

“Yup.” The witch replied, popping the P as she placed her hand on the creature’s cage “Once a month we drain these suckers, it doesn't hurt ‘em, it does make ‘em a lot more manageable to handle though.”

She patted the top of the cage, causing the creature inside to slam into the iron bars as its teeth gnashed hungrily against each other. 

“A-and that one’s not been drained?” Luz asked, the witch shook her head.

“This one was drained a few hours ago.” Luz’ eyes widened at that.

“How bad do they get?”  
  
“If you don’t drain em? Well, probably the moment you’d entered the shop, this bastard would have chewed through the metal, carried you off somewhere. And the only thing they would’ve found of you likely would have been a few guts in a tree somewhere.”  
  
Luz turned green and the raven haired witch handed her a bucket, snickering slightly at the face the human was making.

“ ‘S how How Gary met his end, by the way. His family’s lucky demon bones are so tough. Or they would’ve had nothing left to bury.” Gwen seemed mildly disturbed by the sentence too, shuddering slightly.

Suddenly, a crate came floating out of the back room, placing itself on the counter.

“Well, that’s that, need any help carrying it out?” Luz shook her head, thanking the shopkeeper before something else popped in her head.

“Wait, I have a question.” She grabbed one of the “strong ones” out of the crate. How come you guys can sell this to minors, isn’t there alcohol in these?”  
  
“Have you ever tried some?” Luz shook her head.  
  
“Well, the simple answer is, they’re enchanted. Anyone under the age of eighteen tries to drink one? They turn bright purple for like, a week.” Luz snorted at the mental image, before another question popped up.  
  
“I’ve seen a few purple demons around here, how does that affect them?” 

Gwen chuckled. “Oh, it doesn’t just turn you _purple_ , I’m talking glow-in-the-dark purple, seriously, the amount of parents complaining that their kids cant sleep is hilarious.”

Luz chuckled at that, grabbing the crate off the counter and walking out of the shop, giving a quick thanks to the shopkeeper before moving back into the street and the market.

\--

When she got back to the spot Eda had been in previously, she didn’t see anyone. So, fishing her sketch block from her hood, she began a sketch. The scene in front of her seemed like the perfect thing to draw. The bustling streets and people walking through made it a bit of a challenge, but one she enjoyed undertaking.

The various shapes and sizes intermingling through the stalls, she saw a weird tri-bladed sword passing hands in one of the back stalls and quickly sketched out the details to refine later, a small witchling’s treat had fallen into the dirt, causing it to cry thick tears she tried to capture. So engrossed as she was with her drawing that she didn’t notice the figure creeping up behind her.

Until.... A book was unceremoniously dropped in her lap, almost making her mess up the linework on one of the front most stalls.

“Eda, be carefu-” She tried, but was cut off.  
  
“None of that, I got that for _you_ and it was _hell_. You don’t get to complain. “ The sheer tiredness in Eda’s voice made Luz do a double-check on the book, her eyes widening as she read the title.

_The newest Azura book._

She was pretty sure the high pitched squeal of joy she let out deafened at least a few of the market’s customers, not that she cared at that point, bouncing in the air like an excited child whilst hugging the book.  
  
The owl lady couldn’t help but smile as the kid jumped with glee.

“Worth it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, this was a bit of a slower chapter to make up for the bombshell of chapter four, though I hope you all will like it nonetheless.


	6. Some days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Here it is, the longest chapter as of yet and probably my favourite, many great things to come after this.
> 
> As per usual, shoutout to [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) This time for not only editing, but showing me the light when it comes to writing outlines for chapters.

To become Emperor, one needed guile, charisma, and a vision.  
  
To be Emperor was to have power, followers, and the people behind you.  
  
To _stay_ Emperor however, _that_ was something _entirely_ different.

And it all came down on one thing.

Ruling.

More specifically, _how_ to rule.

Ruling with kindness and generosity was bound to make the people adore you, yet it often made those close to you bold, made them start to poke and prod at the edges of what you notice and what you allow, and before you know it, death is all that awaits you.

Ruling with an iron fist was undoubtedly more effective. The more scared people were of you, the less likely notions of revolt and rebellion. Funnily enough however, it often lead to the same thing, scheming in the night, the reasons might change, hidden behind a veil of “justice” with the goal of “toppling a tyrant” 

Both strategies had their merits, that was to be sure. But they relied on one thing that made them so intrinsically flawed.

They were based on _assumption_.

The Assumption that a happy people guarantees one’s safety. The Assumption that a scared people is a pacified people.

Assuming something, was often the slippery slope that lead to the opposite happening. He’d found.

That’s why Belos prized one thing above all others.

Information.

Why indulge the people in acts of wanton generosity, when knowing when and where people were in trouble with the harvest and compensating accordingly was so much more effective.  
  
Why waste lives trying to quash a revolt, when a single dagger in the night can stop it from happening at all.

Information, he finds, is a commodity that when used well, is worth more than any jewel, any amount of gold or any army.

So, that’s what he’d done.

He’d gathered information.  
  
Though, this time it wasn’t to make sure he was aware of the newest schemes of Odalia’s, Alador might be the public face. But everyone with _any_ sense knew who exactly was the true leader of the Blight household.

It also wasn’t about the frustratingly frequent gatherings of wild witches.

It was about a certain human.

_His dau-_

He shook his head, again. Assumptions were the death of logic. Though a bitter part of him spat out that it wasn’t him “wanting to be certain.”

He’d amassed quite the pile of information as well, currently laid atop the simple wooden table of his private study, where, ensconced within the tower of the castle, he was going over them all.

The first report was one of Bump’s, recalling how she’d managed to sneak inside the school within an abomination cauldron. He definitely had to make sure it wasn’t that easy to sneak into a school in the future.

The second was various accounts of a witches’ duel between her and one Amity Blight, he frowned slightly at the name, recalling it being the same as the youngest of the three of Alador and Odalia’s children. 

Nothing seemed to have been destroyed, nobody had been harmed.

The next major incident however made his ire rise.

A greater basilisk within a school?! He’d been sure they’d all been exterminated. Clearly he hadn’t been thorough enough.

He did feel a pang of… _something_ when reading that it had in fact been Luz among with a few others that had combined magics to take it down.

That had been the deciding factor that had pushed Bump to allow them to study multiple tracks.

He just hoped they’d join his coven instead of opting for the _other_ option.

  
  


Why had he been doing all of this? To know more, about the enigma that had presented itsef, or well, _herself_ to him.

Luz the human, someone he’d heard of in passing. His _daughter_ , the thought itself still seemed like it made no sense, but that seemed to be his general state of mind when it came to that particular tidbit.

Pure and utter confusion.

Well, there was one thing that he wasn’t confused about, and that was the _if._ Those flashes had been clear enough, like throwing singular pieces of different puzzles into his mind. He _knew_ what the full thing looked like, yet he didn’t know at the same time.

All that had been made clear by those microscopic glimpses had been his relation to the girl.

His gauntleted hand carved grooves in the wood of his table as he clenched his fist. One would assume the fact one had a literal _child_ wasn’t something that just slipped the mind.

And yet, here he was.

The girl looked nothing like him, from the reports acted nothing like him. She seemed to be on every single level, except for the most important one… Nothing like him.

Which opened up another can of worms that unfortunately he couldn’t just seal up.

A daughter, would mean a mother. Which he also didn’t recall, he knew of spells that created children, but those always left a mark. A magical fingerprint which the girl _definitely_ didn’t have.

Every question he asked led to four more, each and every one of those unpacked into more and more of a riddle that had his blood boiling.

His fist shot out, impacting on the black stone of the wall, and the tower _shook._

  
  


\--

  
  


Well then. First day of school since the trip to the Emperor’s castle.

Luz wasn’t looking forward to this, at all. But it didn’t really matter at this point, she was gonna have to face her friends at some point.

So, when Eda had dropped her off, she’d put on her best brave face and walked into school, trying to just enjoy the day despite the storm brewing in her mind.

It didn’t last long, Willow and Gus had been worried about her, which was really sweet, truly it was- but around the fifth time they’d asked her if she was ok it was getting annoying.

The day didn’t get much better from there on out, though thankfully a familiar face joined them at lunch.

Luz perked up as she saw the familiar mop of green hair moving through the cafeteria, jumping up and waving at the witch to come join them. 

“I see your foot’s healed?” Willow asked as the Blight joined them.

“Yeah, still a bit tender. But it feels so good to just be able to y’know- _do_ stuff again.” Luz nodded, thankful of the tension in the atmosphere lessening somewhat. Maybe today would be fine after all.

“How was the trip to the Emperor’s castle?” Amity asked absentmindedly, before taking a bite out of her lunch, instantly Gus and Willow’s eyes were on the brunette as she stiffened.  
  
“Fine.” She bit out after a while, her tone thoroughly unconvincing. If the concerned look that passed over the green haired witch’s face was any indication. She noticed the three of them sharing concerned glances.

“Are you sure?” Gus tried.

“Look guys, I’m fine!” She snapped, making them flinch back. “Please. Just drop it?”

  
The way they looked at her after that only made her feel worse, _great, now she was being angry at people who really hadn’t deserved it._ Even Amity was giving her a hurt look. 

The fact they were worrying about her at all was really sweet, they really didn’t need to. But she just wanted to be able to take her mind off of the whole situation for a bit.

She’d tell them, eventually. But right now she supposed apologizing was the only thing she could do.

“Sorry I-” She began, only to be cut off.

“Well, if this isn’t the saddest bunch of wanna-be witches I’ve ever seen.” Boscha muttered, walking up to the table with her cronies in tow.

_Today really wasn’t her day, was it?_

Amity rolled her eyes. “Boscha, still unable to act mature I see.” She deadpanned, which made the three eyed girl sneer.

“Careful, _traitor._ You really happy here with half-a-witch Willow and the _human?”_ The dismissive tone _really_ rubbed Luz the wrong way, but noticing how Willow’s ears drooped out of the corner of her eye made something rise within her.

Anger, pure anger, all the frustration, sadness and questions bubbled down into anger. Even as Amity sprang up from her seat and all but chased the group away it didn’t abate. Her fists remained clenched at her sides as she glared daggers at the retreating forms of Boscha and her crew.

Looking to Willow next to her made her fury somehow burn even hotter, but that was something she could deal with later. Her friend needed her.

She bumped against Willow’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t listen to her. She’s just jealous of you having _actual_ friends.” 

“Yeah, don’t listen to her.” Amity added whilst Gus gave the plant witch a reassuring smile.

Her smile returned a bit, though it was fragile, it felt a bit fake. Around the same time Luz had an idea, an idea to pay the bully back.

That night she snuck into the kitchen, careful not to wake up King or Hooty. Eda, she wasn’t worried about as the older woman usually just lept deeply enough to give the grim reaper pause.

When she finally found what she’d been looking for, she quickly moved back to her room, stuffing it in her school bag before dozing off

\--

The next day, her plan fell into motion. She had potions as one of her first lessons with Boscha being in the same class, now she just needed the right opportunity to act.

The perfect time came a little over halfway through the class, when the three-eyed girl excused herself to go to the toilet, Luz quickly snatched her bag without anyone noticing, digging through it until she found what she wanted

_There!_ She carefully grabbed what she’d been looking for before digging into her own bag.

A minute later, Boscha’s bag was back next to her table, just in time for the pink haired girl to walk back into the classroom.  
  
Now all Luz had to do was wait.  
  
She just hoped Eda wouldn’t notice.

By the time lunch rolled around, it really was just a matter of _when._ Luz had walked with Gus into the cafeteria, picking out a spot a bit closer to Boscha’s usual table than where they usually sat. Gus had quirked an eyebrow at the suggestion but hadn’t commented.

Willow and Amity had joined them soon after, and much small talk ensued. Luz wasn’t really paying all that much attention, busy munching on a sandwich and sneaking glances at the table were Boscha was currently sitting.

Gus and Willow didn’t notice, too busy with their conversation. Amity, who had been listening and not participating whilst working on an assignment, did.

“Luz, what’s wrong?” Amity asked, quirking a brow.

“I-uh, NOTHING!” She squeaked, face flushing with embarrassment as she tried to play off getting caught.

“Okaaaaay.” The green haired witch trailed off with a confused look, focussing her attention back on the texts, Luz tore her eyes away from watching Boscha like a hawk to check out what the Blight girl was walking on, leaning over the table to get a look at her texts.

Amity looked back up, only to find Luz’ face a few inches from her own. With a startled yelp she shot back, almost falling off of the bench as the human girl looked at her concernedly.

“Amity, do you have a fever or something?” Luz asked, and Amity just- sat there gaping like a fish, a small snicker drew her attention however and she shot a baleful glare at Willow’s all too knowing grin.

“I don’t know Luz, but you might want to check.” She said, the grin turning smug.

_Wait-what._ Amity scrambled back, almost falling off the bench a second time as she tried to paw at the concerned looking human’s hand in an effort to stop it from reaching her forehead. 

_Willow was gonna pay for thi-_

  
  


“IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH” Her train of thought was cut off as a piercing shriek echoed throughout the cafeteria. A few of the flying demons dropped from the sky and onto benches as windows cracked at the sheer pitch and volume.

After finally unplugging her fingers from her ears, she took a look at the cause of the ungodly shriek, to find Boscha…

_What._

Amity blinked.

_Nope,_ _still the same._

She blinked again. With the same result. She briefly wondered if this was a fever dream, but a quick pinch to the back of her hand relieved her of that notion.

Which meant that what she was looking at, was in fact _Boscha._

A _glowing, purple,_ Boscha. But Boscha nonetheless.

_No way._ she realised something then. Her head swung around so quickly it was a miracle she didn’t experience whiplash as her eyes found the smug grin of Luz Noceda. The brunette seemed to notice Amity looking at her as the smile quickly faded in favour of trying to act innocent.

Amity had to admit, she was impressed. Something that calculated and _ruthless_ wasn’t something she thought Luz capable of, and if she hadn’t been so _horrified_ at the fact that this was LUZ of all people doing something so mean-spirited, she’d probably have complimented the prankster.

As it stood now, she could only stare slack-jawed as the hysterical Boscha was escorted out of the cafeteria to the sound of laughter and jeers, one thing single thought on loop in her mind.

_Willow and Gus are right. There is_ **_definitely_ ** _something wrong with Luz._

\--

  
  


Walking back from school, Luz feels pretty good about herself. Still high off of what had happened with the bully at lunch. She’s in so much of a good mood that she even scratches Hooty behind the…. face before walking in the door.

That feeling ebbs away within moments as she sees Eda on the couch, arms crossed and an angry expression on her face currently fixed at none other than Luz herself. A tiny part of her _hopes_ that Lilith had passed by and soured her mood, but the fact that the crate of apple blood is sitting on the table in front of her makes that hope fade away to.

“Hi Eda.” She tries, slowly shutting the door behind her.  
  
“Luz.” The owl lady replies, and the tone makes a shiver run down her spine.

“Sooo, what are you do-” 

“Sit.” Eda interrupts her, pointing to the opposite end of the couch, her shoulders sag as she walks towards it and takes a seat opposite of her mentor, eyes downcast on the ground.

“So, mind telling me why there’s a bottle of alcoholic apple blood missing.” 

“Wha-” She tries to say, but Eda just holds up a finger to silence her.

“Before you begin, just so we’re not wasting time here, I _know_ it was you.”  
  
 _How?!_ Luz thinks as her eyes go wide

“Magic” Eda deadpans, answering the unsaid question as she draws a little glowing circle in the air. “So, mind telling me why you stole something? You know if you need something you can just _ask_ me, I really didn’t expect something like this from you, that's more of a me thing.” 

The disappointed tone Eda’s voice takes on is one all too familiar to Luz, and she scrambles to explain the situation.

“I, I didn’t take it to drink or anything to that extent.” She says, flailing her arms. The owl lady just rolls her eyes.

“Kid, that was obvious. Since you’re not currently lighting up the room, _literally”_ She adds.

“So, mind filling me in on what exactly you needed it for?”

Luz swallows, feeling a cold sweat break out. For a moment she considers lying, not an option. She wonders if maybe running would be the smart thing to do, but as Eda had reminded her just now, magic was a thing. So that was out.

So, she really has only one option.

“I used it on a bully!” She admits, and she watches the annoyed look on Eda’s face just slip away, replaced by one of confusion.

“I- there’s this girl in school and she’s really popular and she really hates me for some reason and she picks on my friends and she made Willow sad and I was so angry at her and I grabbed your potion and I put it in her juice box.” She rambles off, unable to stop after having started, tightly gripping the bottom of her uniform’s skirt as her eyes are screwed shut.

“Heh.”

Luz blinks, looking confusedly at where the older woman is currently sat looking at her with a grin, she can tell she’s trying to keep it in. But the subtle shake of her shoulders betrays her amusement.

“Oh, I am kinda pissed I didn’t come up with that one kid.” Eda breathlessly admits, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.

“Did it work?” Luz nods at the owl lady’s question. 

“Where?” 

“In the middle of the cafeteria.” Eda looks- well she looks _proud_ at the success of the prank, but there’s something more to her look.

“Any evidence that can be tied back to you?” 

Luz shakes her head. “Did it during potions, dumped the rest in one of the potion containers and threw the glass in the bin.”  
  
“And by bin you mean those glass eating demons that hop around the classroom?” Luz nods and Eda nods her head back in approval, looking quite impressed and entertained.

“Why’d you do it?” Suddenly her face shifts into one of disapproval and curiosity.

“Because-” Luz falls silent then, eyeing Eda’s expectant look. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean.” Eda asks. “Is why.”

“B-because Boscha just keeps getting away with bullying my friends, and- and someone needed to do something.” Luz defended.

“Publicly humiliating the girl at lunch was the only way to _do something?_ ” It’s phrased like a question, but both of them know it’s not. Luz’ eyes go wide with realization as she recalls the mocking jeers and laughter thrown at the hysterical pink haired girl before she’d been escorted out of the cafeteria. Her eyes turn to the ground once more.

“And there it is.” Eda mutters, before reaching over to rest a hand on the girl’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze that she leans into instinctively.

“Am I a bully?” She asks, when her lips seem to be able to form syllables again.

“No.” Eda shakes her head. “Definitely not, you’re a kid who’s just had her whole life flipped upside down and whose emotions are going haywire. Doing something like that doesn’t just _make_ you a bully, it makes you someone who cares a lot and ended up doing something wrong because of it.”

That… that makes her feel a little better. Eda squeezes her shoulder a second time.

“Look kid, if I’m honest, I don’t fully understand what you’re going through right now. But I’m willing to listen, whenever you’re ready.” She clenches her teeth at the mention of… _that._ But she knows the older witch means it. So she nods her head.

“Maybe.” She mutters, and Eda nods, leaning back onto the couch.

“Got any plans for today?”

Luz nods. “I was gonna go into the market with Amity, Gus and Willow, it’s ok if I go with friends, right?” She stiffens. “I’m not grounded, am I?”  
  
“I’m still not comfortable letting you into town alone, so it’s probably for the best you bring a few friends. As for your question? Nope.” Eda answers, obnoxiously popping the “p” Luz’ shoulders sag in relief as she gets off of the couch.

“You are however gonna buy me a new flask whilst you’re in town.” 

“Okaayyy.” She groans.

“Out of your own pocket.” That makes Luz look at the owl lady questioningly.

“What? I’m not paying for it, it’s coming out of your allowance kiddo.”

Luz blinks.

“I don’t have an allowance.”

Eda blinks.

“oh yeah, right.” She digs into one of her dress’ pockets, grabbing a small pouch of snails.

“Don’t try buying anything else, I counted ‘em last night.” She says, before tossing them to the human girl.

“Even if it’s some of those snacks you like?” Luz suggests. Eda knows the girl is playing her, hell the witch could probably have written a _book_ about tricks like this if she’d actually wanted to. But she can’t help but shake her head in exasperation as she nods. Shooing the snickering girl out of her house.

She waits till she’s well and truly gone before moving up off the couch, groaning at the pain that shoots through her.

She can practically _feel_ the pennaceous feathers trying to burrow out of her skin as her breathing becomes short. Quickly grabbing one of Morton’s elixirs and chugging it down… before moving onto the next when she notices next to zero change from just the one potion.

She just hopes Morton’s promise to “look into” stronger elixirs pays off.

  
  


\--

“Sooooo, any plans?” Gus asks as they’re all sat on one of Bonesborough’s many fountains, looking over at the bustling streets as they laze around.

“I was gonna head to the library later…. would you like to join?” Amity asks, going slightly pink in the cheeks as she looks at Luz. The unspoken question of _“Book club?”_ unnoticed to all but the two of them.

“Maybe.” Luz says. “I still gotta buy back that vial for Eda.” She mutters. Before realizing she said that aloud. Eyes going wide in alarm as she looks at the three others. She just hoped they didn’t put the pieces together.

A gasp from Willow removes that silly notion quickly enough, Luz can’t help but flinch at the plant witch’s scandalized look. Wow it does _not_ feel good to have Willow of all people look at you like that, Luz finds out in that moment.

“That was you?!” Willow whisper-shouts in disgust, Luz and Amity share a knowing glance before she nods. Gus just looks at the three of them confusedly.

“Why?” Willow asks, and Luz can’t bring herself to meet the girl’s gaze, instead focusing on some faraway roof ornament as she scratches the back of her neck.

“I- I honestly don’t know?” She lies through her teeth. “I guess I was just sick of her bullying you all?”

“It was a really mean thing to do, Luz.” Willow gently chides. And Luz can only mutter a sad “Yeah.” In reply.

“But, I guess she did deserve it.” That makes both Luz _and_ Amity look at Willow in alarm.

“What?”

At right around the same time Gus’ eyes widen.

“THAT WAS YOU?!”

Luz turns to Gus, ready to explain when a glimpse of a white cloak draws her attention, she goes _white._ Sucking in a breath before quickly scrambling off of the fountain.  
  
“i’ll explain later, gotta go guys!” She shouts, prompting the three of them to follow her.

Only Amity has the sense to look back first, frowning as she spots a masked figure dressed in the emperor’s regalia disappear into the crowd, before running off after the others.

\--

It takes Luz about five minutes to stop running, something that makes Willow and Gus realize that _wow they’re out of shape_. Amity looks fine but her cheeks are flushed a bit and her breathing is noticeably heavier.

When they’ve all caught their breath, Gus demands the story from Luz, who nervously regales it back to Gus.

He seems slightly disturbed by the whole thing, but doesn’t disagree with the fact that Boscha probably had it coming, though he does suggest at least apologizing.

After that, it’s a long way to the shop. Luz wants to take back alleys and winding roads, avoiding the marketplaces.

The only problem being, she’s not familiar with them. Thankfully Gus comes in clutch, taking them on a route that avoids every major street and lands them smack dab in front of the shop.

Luz finally takes note of the billboard hung up above the door.

Gary’s apple blood boutique, it had originally read, only now there’s a rex X painted over the name Gary and a small wooden plank with “Gwen” has been hastily hammered onto it.

As she pushes into the shop, the faint ringing of a bell rings out, or, would have, if it hadn’t been the Boiling Isles.

Instead of a dainty little bell, an _unholy_ shriek rings out that has her jumping a foot up in the air. The witches in her group look unfazed.

“Suppose I should have expected you back here.” A familiar voice rings out, and the group’s eyes are drawn to the shopkeeper.

_Crap. She looks pissed._ Luz takes in the stiff posture, crossed arms and the frown on Gwendolyn’s face before the witch speaks again.

“Name’s Gwendolyn, call me Gwen.” She says, flashing a polite smile at the others before levelling a glare back at Luz.

“Do you mind telling me why I had a pair of supremely pissed off parents and a glowing purple kid here not an hour ago?”  
  


Luz does feel bad about the whole situation, but all she can think of in that moment is _Thank god I dodged_ **_that_ ** _bullet._

“Uhhh, why’d they come here?” she asks, and the shopkeeper’s eyeroll is so exaggerated it looks like it hurts.

“Those spells are unique per seller, it’s like a magical fingerprint.” She explains, and Luz goes pale a second time that day.

“Relax kid, I didn’t tell them. And I’m not going to, if you tell me _why.”_

“Uh, miss Gwendolyn?” WIllow speaks up, stepping forward.

“Once again, call me Gwen. But yes?” She says, turning towards the plant witch.

“She, she uh did it for me. That girl that came in here? Her name’s Boscha, she’s kind of a jerk and Luz just wanted to pay her back for messing with me constantly… Not that I’m saying she was right or anything.”

“Ah, a bully huh?” Gwen mused, before shrugging. “With parents like that it only makes sense.” 

All of them notice Amity cringe at that blunt statement.

“Honestly kid, can’t really fault you for standing up for your friends. But _yeesh_ I had you pegged wrong, I expected you to be more along the lines of “lets all be friends and get along” type. Not fire and brimstone, shows what I know.”

“I mean, I- I guess? I don’t know, I’ve not been all myself lately…. There’s a lot going on.” Luz admits, and she can see the wheels turning.

“Seems what you need, is an outlet. Tell me, do kids your age still like to cause wanton destruction?”

They looked at eachother, before shrugging. “Sure.”

  
  


\--

“So, why exactly _is_ this place abandoned?” Luz asks. They’re all in a clearing just outside of Bonesborough- Two hills over, to be precise, via an abandoned trail behind one of the court buildings. Gus and Willow are currently casting spell after spell whilst Amity and Luz are sitting on a few tree stumps together with Gwendolyn. Amity’s head is in a book, having snatched Luz’ new Azura book that she’d been unable to buy due to her leg after Luz had mentioned it being in her bag. 

‘Remember those apple critters from the shop?” Gwendolyn remarks, using a small knife to remove some dirt from underneath her fingernails. Luz nods, a shiver running down her spine as she recalls what the shopkeeper had told her about those monsters.

“There used to be a nest of ‘em, way up in that tree.” She points at one of the gigantic redwoods surrounding the clearing. Luz looks at the tree nervously, and she notices Amity look up from the book in concern out of the corner of her eye.

“They’re not here anymore… right?” Amity asks, and Gwen shrugs. Which is probably the _worst_ response she could’ve given at that point.

“All the adults were wiped out or rounded up, can’t say for sure we didn’t miss any of the babies.”

“That is not very reassuring.” Amity dryly remarks, and Luz nods in agreement.

“It’s the truth, lying won’t do you guys any good if there’s one around here, this way you’re at least expecting it.” Gwen admits, playing with a lock of her black hair as she looks on, eyebrow quirking up as she sees Gus narrowly avoid getting hit by a gigantic root that bursts from the soil.

“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. How’d you end up on the Isles anyways?” She turns to Luz, who is drawing a few glyphs in her note pad.

“What do you mean?” 

“Well.” She begins. “Unless you were somehow sucked in by a trash slug, which I doubt considering you’re well- alive. I can’t really think of any other way you could have ended up here. She can see Amity looking up again, no doubt interested in the answer too.

Luz shrugs. “Came in through a portal by accident, Owlbert stole my Azura book and I tried to get it back, chased him right through a portal, Eda made it with some sort of key.”

“Huh, cool.” The witch admits.

“By the way, why’d you even join us? Don’t you have a shop to run.”

“That I do.” Gwendolyn agrees. “But it’s a lot harder to run a shop from prison. If it turns out there’s one of these creatures still around, they’ll show themselves soon enough. If they’d found out I sent you all here and you guys ended up kicking the bucket, I’d be royally screwed, that’s a good fifteen years in the conformatorium at least. I’m basically here to make sure none of you get killed.”

“You really suck at making people feel at ease. You know that, right?” Amity deadpans, snapping the book shut as Luz giggles in agreement.

The raven haired witch looks like she’s about to reply, when the brush rustles. Suddenly all eyes are on the brush, Gwen’s grip tensing on the knife in her hand.

Nothing comes out of the bush, whatever it was retreating back into the forest, they let out a collective breath they don’t know they’ve been holding.

Neither Luz nor Amity are aware of the figure watching them from the treeline, a few dozen meters to their rear.

\--

It’s not often Kikimora finds herself summoned by the Emperor himself. Oftentimes, he trusted her well enough to run things on her own.

Indeed, a summons by the emperor was a very unusual thing to Kikimora, yet she wouldn’t dare presume the reason why.

As she moved into the throne room, Lilith’s kneeling form caught her eye before the emperor did, he was sitting on his throne, posture indicative of boredom as his finger tapped on the arm rest.

“Lilith, I don’t want _excuses_. You’ll have the Owl Lady here within three days, I’ll cure her little affliction and she’ll join the coven. Should you fail, you’ll be banished and persecuted like any wild witch. Begone from my sight.” His tone was one of barely restrained anger, which was worrying to the small red demoness. The emperor rarely lost his calm, and when he did, the results were never good.

Lilith all but scrambled up to her feet, trying to keep a dignified posture to mask her fear as she bowed and walked, speedily out of the room.

The emperor’s gaze snapped to her the moment the doors shut behind Lilith, she dropped to one knee immediately.

“My emperor, I was told you had summoned me?” She said, waiting for a reply.

“You may rise, Kiki. And yes, I _do_ have a task for you.” She rose to her feet, eyes widening minutely as she realized he was standing right in front of her, instead of sitting on the throne where he’d been moments prior.

“Do you have any recollection of a certain individual by the name of Luz Noceda?” He asked, her brow furrowed. THe name did ring a bell, but she couldn’t put a finger on it.

“The name? Yes, the person however I do not recall.”

He nodded. “She’s also known as the Owl Lady’s disciple.” _That_ made her frown. What was a _child_ doing in the company of a wanted criminal?

“Do you wish for us to capture her, my lord?” He waved the suggestion off, shaking his head.

“Nothing so… drastic. Recently it has come to my attention that the girl is a human, one that entered our world via the use of a portal key.”

Her eyes widened. “I thought they’d all been destroyed?”  
  
“As did I.” Belos mused, turning away from her to look at one of the tapestries on the wall. “What I wish for you to do, is deliver a message. If the human delivers the key to me, anything she wishes for will be hers.”

“My lord?” She questioned.

“What is it, Kiki?” She could all but feel the edge his voice had.

“Would it not be easier to just, take the key by force?”

The Emperor chuckled at that, a sound that made Kikimora’s hairs stand on end.

“I suppose it would be more effective. But it would only set us back in the long run, now. Can I trust you with this task?”

“Of course, my lord.” She bowed again. “Where can she be found?”

“I have been informed that at this present time she is in Bonesborough, if you hurry. You might be able to deliver the message today.” He snapped his fingers, and a small slip of paper appeared between his fingers, he handed it to Kikimora before dismissing her.

As she walked out of the throne room, her eyes were focussed on the image. It was a drawing of the girl in question.

_Unremarkable_ was Kikimora’s first impression of the girl. The only thing that stood out were the round ears that distinguished her from witches. But, if the emperor saw something in this odd human girl, it was not her place to argue.

\--

Today was a...decent day, Luz supposed, waving goodbye to her friends before taking off back towards the Owl House.

They’d spent the afternoon in that clearing, messing around with spells, or in Luz’ case, glyphs, Amity had shown her new Abomination skills whilst Willow and Gus had tried to come up with new spells. At the end of the day, Gus had laid the foundation for a sort of mirror spell, one that allowed it to seem like there were dozens of him at once, whilst Willow had almost managed to summon an entire field of flowers in a single cast.

They’d had to call it quits then, Gwendolyn shooing them back towards the town, as she had something to do later on. They’d decided to call it a day then, going home for the day.

Yeah, Luz thought it was a pretty decent day.

Until a familiar red demoness blocked her path, stepping out of an alleyway. She took a few steps back,reaching into her hoodie and grabbing one of her glyphs.

“Please, I am not here to fight.” The demoness said, holding up her hands in surrender. She frowned at that, but let the glyph go.

“Why are you here, then?”

“To deliver a message, one from the emperor personally.” Luz flinched at the mention, swallowing as she found her throat go dry before answering again.

“What kind of message?”

“It has come to our glorious emperor’s attention, that you are in possession of a portal key to the human world. If you were to hand it over, he will grant you any wish you desire.”

Luz’ eyes widened. _How_ _did he know about the portal?!_ That was alarming to say the least.

“Oh, okay. I’ll think about it” She muttered, trying to step around the witch. She merely nodded, allowing the young human to pass her. 

“That is all he asks.”  
  
Luz took off running the moment she was past the diminutive demoness. She didn’t stop until she could see the Owl House past the trees. She saw Hooty’s sleeping form from the treeline, opting to sneak around the back instead as she _really_ didn’t want to deal with the house demon right now.

As she snuck around the back however, something caught her attention as she peaked into one of the windows, there was a veritable _pile_ of empty elixir bottles stacked on the table. Eda was in the process of downing what looked like a fifteenth bottle. Tt seemed to have finally taken effect. Some of the sprouting feathers retreated back into her skin as she collapsed back onto the couch.

Eda really wasn’t doing too well.

Luz entered via the back door, calling out to the witch that she was home. She heard a frantic scramble and the sound of magic being cast as she walked into the living room. Eda was sitting on the couch, a lazy smile on her lips that would definitely have fooled the human girl if she hadn’t seen the state the owl lady had been in mere moments ago.

“Hey kiddo, how was today?”

“I- it was fine.” She corrected, grabbing the vial from her bag. “Here’s the vial. Sorry for stealing it from you in the first place.” 

The grey haired witch waved her off. “Pah, forget it. Now, where are my snacks?” Luz dug through her bag. Tossing the treats and the left over coins to the owl lady before faking a yawn. 

“I think I'm gonna go to sleep, see you tomorrow.” She muttered, leaving the room.

“Goodnight kid.” Eda called back as she walked up the stairs.

\--

Luz fell asleep after hours of tossing and turning, kept awake by the torrent of emotions that today’s events had brought with them.

First the whole Boscha situation, and now Belos knew about the key. Today really couldn’t get any worse.

An incorrect statement, she realized, as she suddenly found herself with a very familiar and _very_ unwelcome dreamscape.

Soon enough, because there were just some days when the universe _loved_ to just pile things on top of eachother, creating a messed up layer cake of bullshi-crap. Footsteps rang out.

Approaching footsteps.

Soon enough, the massive form of her f- the Emperor Belos emerged from the blackness.

“What do you want?” She snarled, making him take a step back. He put up his hands in mock surrender.

“Easy now, I’m not here to fight.”

“Why did you send your followers after me, then?" She challenges, taking a step forward.

“Ah, I take it Kiki relayed my message, have you thought it over yet?” 

_The key._ She frowns at that. “How’d you even know about it, and what do you even need it for?”

“As for the how, well I cannot tell you that. The what is a similar answer.” He replies, tone so infuriatingly monotone it drives her a bit mental.

_He’s toying with her_. Her mind supplies, and her glare deepens.

“At the end of the day, _I am simply a humble messenger for the titan_ , and to make his will manifest that key is of the utmost importance.” He says, and she frowns.

There’s a feeling she’s not felt before, it’s as if some kind of alarm within her mind goes off as he utters that sentence, a feeling that she cannot describe. It does however tell her one thing.

_He’s lying._

“Why are you suddenly so interested in me, or that portal?” She asks, hoping he catches on to her calling his bluff. “Just because you’re my fa-” She chokes, unable to get the words out. “Just because of _that_ you’re suddenly so interested in me?”

“Well, when one finds out that they have a child they were unaware of for said child’s entire life, I suppose interest is to be expected, isn’t it?” Luz’ eyes widened at that, because 1. Unlike before, he _isn’t_ lying, and 2.

_Unaware?_

“Well.” He sighs, all melodrama that makes her want to roll her eyes if she were able to tear her eyes away from his form if she wasn’t afraid doing so would end with her grizzly demise. “I suppose all the stories the owl lady has been telling about me, would make a reaction like this warranted. How is she doing by the way?”  
  
 _He’s baiting you!!!_ Her common sense screams at her. But another, louder part of her mind overtakes it.

_Her curse is getting worse._

“If, if I give you the portal, will you heal her curse?” She asks, and his hand comes up to his face, tapping on the pointy chin of his mask thoughtfully.

“I suppose that answers my question.” He says, after a few moments.

“Will you heal her?” She presses.

“Yes.” He says, sticking out his hand. She doesn’t take it.

“Do you promise?”  
  
“I do.” He says. And Luz can only focus on one thing.

_He’s not lying._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap, hopefully this chapter lives up to the general level of quality expected of this series.
> 
> As per usual, comments I adore and I always love hearing the theories and analyses you guys put forth, till next time!


	7. The fine print

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, here's the seventh chapter.
> 
> ok so, first of all. Once again [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) please everyone thank her for the awesome editing she's done
> 
> Now, before this chapter stars, I reckon I'd need to do a small Author's note regarding Belos.
> 
> I've seen people mentioning him "not winning father of the year" and "he cares, he's sending someone to protect her." These are both true, but as of right now Belos having a daughter is more of a case of this is an oddity/I want to know what this is about. Rather than any parental connection, at least. For the moment. There will definitely be a bond of actual, genuine care that develops between the two of them. But it is not there yet, just thought you guys would do better when made aware of this fact.

Amity had _really_ missed walking on her own. Not having to be carted around by her siblings or her father’s abomination really felt good. It gave her back a sense of agency and independence that she’d sorely missed.

It also meant having to spend less time with her family. Ed and Em had mellowed out, but they still adored annoying her to no end, and dad was… well _dad_ (Which encapsulated awkward and demanding and really bad at talking to her, but still _so much better_ than mom).

Nevertheless, being able to go out on her own was such a blessing.

Otherwise she never would’ve been able to meet up with Gus and Willow on such short notice.

She found the two of them sitting on the same fountain they’d been at the previous day with Luz, the two of them making small talk until they saw her approach.

“Well, I asked dad. Turns out Boscha’s been de-glowed, but she’ll probably be away from school for a few days.” Amity says. 

“Well, that’s good. I guess?” Gus says, and Willow just shrugs. Amity can’t help but agree with the plant witch, but that’s not the reason they’d convened here.

“What’s wrong with Luz?” She asks

“You mean besides her being oblivious as can be?” Willow off-handedly remarks, causing Amity to go scarlet, levelling a death glare at the plant witch whilst Gus just looks between them confusedly.

“I-ignoring that, she’s not been herself. I mean that thing with Boscha?” She says, and the two others agree.

“Yeah, she’s been like that ever since the trip to the emperor’s castle.” Willow says.

“What happened there? Just yesterday she started running when she saw one of the emperor’s coven.”

“What?!” Both Willow and Gus scream, Amity just looks at them owlishly.

“Did neither of you look to see why she was running?” She asks them, dumbfounded. They both shake their head no.

“Also, why the hell were YOU out of breath, Willow? Don’t you train like, every day?” Amity asks the plant witch, who just shrugs.

“Never had good stamina, and I mainly do strength training at home.” Willow replies, Amity supposes that’s fair enough.  
  
“Back on track, do you guys know what happened?”

“Well.” Gus begins. “She snuck off during the tour, we found that writing block she always has on the floor.”  
  
“She was planning on stealing the healing hat for Eda.” Willow ads.

Amity smacks herself on the forehead. “Please tell me you guys were planning on stopping her.”  
  
“Nope!”  
  
“We were gonna help her!”

Amity’s pretty sure she’s never going to be able to stop dyeing her hair, because shit like this is going to make her go gray before she’s 20.

“Ok, ignoring that incredibly _stupid_ plan, anything else?” She asks. Willow seems to think it over for a bit, whilst Gus lets out an offended “Hey!”

“Not really? She almost ran us over, came running down the stairs so fast she almost flew out of the window. She looked pale, almost as if she was going to be sick.”

“Ok, so something happened between you guys losing Luz on the tour, and you guys finding her again. Something big enough to make her act like, well like _this._ How long do you guys think she was gone?”  
  
“About fifteen minutes?” Willow guesses, before looking at Gus for confirmation, he nods along.

“Yeah, about that long.”

Amity frowns, tapping her temple with a finger as she tries to wrap her brain around the situation.

_Fifteen minutes. What could have happened in so short a time?_

\--

Luz _really_ doesn’t want to leave her bed. Normally, she would’ve been out and about hours before now, but she just can’t bring herself to leave the confines of her sleeping bag.

_Kikimora is staying in Bonesborough for a few days. Should you agree, seek her out._ She recalls Belos’ last words in their discussion vividly, and it’s been the main cause of her ongoing mental battle.  
  
 _Should she?_ She hates that she has to ask herself that question. _No!_ A part of her screams, the part that applies to her reason and logic, the part that points out that he can’t be trusted, that giving him what he wants will only bring harm and ruin to the people she cares about. _  
  
_

As per usual however, another part of her disagrees. The part that points out that he hadn’t been lying, and that somehow _knows_ he’ll keep his word about healing Eda.

_Eda…_ She’s getting worse, and _fast_. Luz knows that if she does nothing it’ll be too late before she knows it, and what then?

_Ah, who is she kidding._ She knows what she’s gonna do, has known exactly which one she’s gonna pick since the offer was made. She’s just been trying to convince herself otherwise.

Now the only thing she has to do is get that key from Eda.

_  
_“Hey kid, I’m gonna head into town for a bit, need me to bring anything back?” Eda’s voice calls out, and Luz realizes she’s not got much time left.

“WAIT!” She yells out, scrambling out of her sleeping bag and storming out of the room.

Eda frowns at her as she skids into the room, king blearily opens his eyes with a tired “Wha?” 

“Eda, before you go. Mind giving me the key?” She says, twiddling her thumbs.

“Need to charge that phone-thing of yours again?” She asks, Luz nods. Eda shrugs, plucking the key from her mane of hair.

“Here ya go kid.” She says, tossing the key to Luz, who catches it. “But don’t leave King alone with it, alright? He’s been watching giraffe videos and I don’t want those _creeps_ influencing him.”

Luz nods rapidly “Alrighty, not gonna let King watch any animal videos, thank you Eda, have a good day!” She says, a little too quickly, as Eda raises a brow before shrugging. “Alright kid, have a good day.” With that she steps through the front door.

“HIYAAAAAAAAAAAA EDA.”

“Cram it Hooty.”  
  
“Geez, okay, _fine_!” 

She lets out a dry chuckle at the banter between the Owl Lady and the house demon, and out of the window she sees Eda take off on Owlbert.

_This is it._ She muses, and clutches it tightly within her hands.

“Uh, Luz?” King’s voice calls out, and she turns around to find the diminutive demon standing in the doorway, holding her phone. “This thing’s full.”

“Y-yeah, I know.” She lies. “I needed to quickly grab something from the human world and I didn’t want to worry Eda.” King looks at her, frowning a bit, before shrugging. Hopping on the couch and opening her phone.

“I won’t tell her, if you let me watch these giraffe videos.” He says, and Luz lets out a chuckle at the absurd threat.

“You know what? Fair enough.” She says, before pressing on the eye of the key, opening a portal from which the actual portal appears.”  
  
She’s just about to step into it, when King’s voice calls out again.  
  
“Luz… you’d tell us if you were leaving, right?” King says, and she _freezes._ Before looking at the dog-like demon.

“Of course I would.”  
  
“Oh, good.” He says, looking down at the couch, away from her. “You’re family Luz.”  
  
“I know…. You’re family too.” She says, before stepping into the portal.

_And that’s why this is something I have to do._

\--

Going through the portal is a really odd feeling, but not an unpleasant one. When she opens her eyes again, she’s back in the forest, looking at the wind sweep through the autumn-red leaves of the forest’s trees.

She sneaks back to her house, careful to not let anyone see her. She uses her spare keys to open the back door, sneaking up the stairs, her mom’s on shift at the hospital so she doesn’t _need_ to. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry.  
  
She opens the door to her room as quietly as she can, and she can’t even describe how much she’s missed the smell, she’s tempted for a bit to jump on her bed, but decides against it. She’s terrible at making a bed and it would be obvious to mom.

She does, however, press her face up to the glass of her terrarium, causing her two snakes to look up at her in confusion.

She vows in that moment, to give them as many scritches as she can when she gets back from the isles.

_If she gets back._ She realizes.

Because that’s what giving the key to Belos means, giving up her route home.

“Lo siento, mami.” She says, tears pricking at her eyes. She has to do this, for Eda.

She knows she’s got to get out of this house quickly, because she’s on the verge of a breakdown. And she doesn’t want her mom to come home to her daughter, who should be at camp. Crying on the floor.

She reaches underneath her beg, grabbing her drawing supplies and stuffing them into the bag around her hip, filling it with all the drawings she’s made of the boiling isles throughout the years.

_No better time to get answers._ She supposes. Shoving the now mostly empty compartment back under her bed before stepping out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

She walks back towards the stairs, but takes a quick peek into her mother’s room when she notices the door is open, finding it empty.

She turns away again, walking down the stairs with renewed vigor.

Unaware of the letters laying on her mother’s bedside table.

Written in _her_ hand.

\--

When she gets back, King is still sitting there on the couch, staring intently at the screen.

“Hey King, I’m gonna meet up with Amity at the library, if Eda comes back tell her that’s where I am, alright?” She lies, and the casual way he just nods makes her heart feel even heavier.

“Have fun.” He says, before screaming at the phone “Yes, crush them all.” Luz rolls her eyes at that, stepping out of the front door.

“Where are you gooooing?” Hooty says, and she clutches at the key around her neck.  
  
“to the library with Amity. Bye hooty!” She says, waving at the demon as she walks off into the woods.

“BYE LUUUUUUZ!”

Neither of them notice the figure in the treeline.

\--

Lilith is, for the first time in while, at her wit’s end.

Well, not a _long_ while, it’s only been a week or so since she’s last seen her sister. But that’s the problem. Two days, she only had a measly two days left to somehow capture and/or convince her sister to join the coven. 

Or she’d be banished.

The problem is, she truly doesn’t know what to do. She’s spent the last half hour pacing in front of one of the castle’s many murals, trying to wrack her mind to find a solution, a way in. A frontal assault on the owl house will not work, her raid had proved that when that infernal owl demon had walked through her men like it was nothing.

She’s pretty sure she’s gonna be seeing those dead eyes in her nightmares from now on.

But that’s not the problem, she fists at her hair, growling in frustration as she stomps her foot down.

“She’s got no friends, no connections, nothing.” She lists off, counting on her fingers.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” A voice rings out then.

Lilith is a prideful individual, always has been and likely always will be. That is why she vows to personally incinerate anyone that dares breathe a word of the sound she makes as she jumps a good two feet in the air, startled beyond measure.

“E-Emperor Belos.” She says breathlessly, looking at the towering figure standing in the doorway. She takes a knee, eyes downcast on the floor as his footsteps approach her.

“Rise.” he says, and she does, nervously looking at him, he doesn’t meet her gaze, instead looking at the mural.

“The owl lady’s disciple.” He says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Lilith blinks. “The human?”

He makes a sound of affirmation, and she just about slaps herself upside the face because how had _she_ not thought of that.

“The human will be arriving at the castle later today. In the evening if I’m not mistaken, I have business with her. Maybe you can use this to your advantage, hmm?”

“My emperor?” She asks.

“I am not here to help you, merely to inform you.” He dismisses the question. “But, I do suppose I have some advice. The human is not to be harmed, understood?” She nods quickly, and he turns away. Stopping just before leaving the room.

“I trust you know what to do?”

And with that, he’s gone. And Lilith feels an idea bloom. A little white lie wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Belos however, smiles behind his mask. _All is going according to plan._

\--

Luz is beginning to _really_ hate Belos, though this might be one of the more petty reasons. It’s not the fourteen years of nothing even resembling a mention of his existance or the tyranny this time.

It’s the stupid cryptic way of speaking, she’s spent the past half hour just… wandering through Bonesborough. Still no sign of that red demon though.

“Would just _telling_ me the address have been too much to ask for?” She mutters, turning back onto one of the busier streets after checking in one of the alleys.

“I see you made the right choice.” A voice speaks from behind her, and she twirls around to give the demon a glare.

“Do you _have_ to sneak up on people like that?!” She hisses out, and the demoness shrugs.

“Probably not.”

Luz rolls her eyes at the non-answer. “So, how does this work?” 

“There is a clearing a little ways past Bonesborough. I trust you’re familiar with it?” Luz barely manages to fight down a shocked “What” because how did they know about the clearing? They’d only been there once.

Kikimora assesses her expression with a critical eye, but doesn’t comment. “Go there and wait, you’ll be brought to the castle from there.” With that the demon turns away, leaving Luz standing in the middle of the street as she disappears into the crowd.

\--

It takes her a good while, but eventually she makes it to the clearing. She just hopes Gwendolyn doesn’t find out she went here without her permission, or the shopkeep might actually lose it.

That train of thought doesn’t end up going anywhere, as suddenly a figure steps out from behind the tree.

Her eyes widen in recognition, before she frowns. _So that’s how she knew._ The familiar mask makes her realize that she’s been trailed by this figure these past few days.

“Soooo.” She says, taking a step towards the masked figure. “What now?”  
  
The figure inclines its head, an obvious “follow me” sign, before turning on a heel and walking back into the woods. 

Luz supposed that was all the answer she was going to get. She looked in the sky, the sun’s position indicating it was a few hours past noon.

Man, she really hoped she’d be back in time for dinner.

\--

“C’mon Morton, there has to be _something_ you can do.” Eda tried, her little visit to the potion’s shop wasn’t a successful one, to say the least. Actually, she’d had some pretty grim news.

There was no stronger elixir, at least no one Morton knew of, which meant one of two things. Either Belos and his cult had whisked the stronger stuff away, or it simply didn’t exist.

Neither option meant much for her, it was accelerating faster and faster and soon enough it would be too much to keep up with.

“I’m sorry Eda, there’s really nothing I can do for you.” Morton said, looking genuinely saddened at having found nothing, she waved him off.

“Eh, thanks for trying anyways.”  
  
“H- how bad has it gotten?” He asked, Eda snorted. Prepared to deliver some snarky reply or tell him not to worry, when a coughing fit wracked her body. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, frowning as she saw a few specks of red against her pale skin.

She sighed. “Not good Mort, every day it’s getting worse, and it’s only speeding up.” He frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after a few seconds of contemplation.

Seems like he didn’t know what to say.

Eda walked off, heading off to do some other errands. Well, it was more just her wandering around whilst thinking.

Worrying, more like. Strangely enough for someone who had basically just been given the news that a disease was terminal. She wasn’t worried about herself.

_Hooty and King,_ they’d be fine- she hoped. At the very least they would have each other, she just hoped that King didn’t get the two of them in trouble. And Luz would swing by whenever she could to keep them in check after she was gone.

She hoped.

Luz was her biggest worry right now. The kid was something Eda never thought she’d experience, a bright bundle of joy, an eager apprentice and the first person to truly get close to her in these past long decades. Hell, she loves the kid like she’s her own.

Which is why everything about the current situation just seems all the more terrifying. Never mind the fact that whatever happens to her, it’s going to _destroy_ the poor kid. She’s also beyond scared about the other elephant in the room. About what is going to happen to her once she can’t protect her anymore.

The thought of Belos somehow latching his claws into the girl is a thought that scares her, more than her own impending death does. The mere thought of him twisting that bright bundle of joy into something unrecognisable lights a match in her soul and a fire in her eyes.

She might boast about being the most powerful witch in the Isles, and she’s not wrong she supposes. But even she knows she would need her full powers to even stand a _chance_ against Belos. Something she definitely doesn’t have access to.

Not that it would stop her from fighting him, even now. She’d die, that was certain. But she sure as shit would make him pay for it.

She almost frowns at the timing of it all, as if wondering if some sort of unseen force has it out for her. Her worst decline has definitely been this past week. Coincidentally starting at the same time as Luz had come home in hysterics with the bombshell that was one half of her parentage.

A whiff of magic on the wind, and _something_ lands in her hair. Plucking out whatever it is she finds a small paper airplane, about as big as her fist. 

She’s about to toss it away, when things start lining up. Such a small paper plane can’t have been thrown from afar, unless there’s magic involved, at that moment her eye catches

unmistakable dark blue ink that only one person she knows uses.

**_Lilith._ **

So, with a deep breath and a tired gaze she opens the paper plane, reading the contents contained within.

Her blood _freezes_ , before it **_boils_**. 

The buildings shake, the cobblestone cracks and shatters, the winds howl and the familiar smell of ozone hangs in the air as thunder crackles from the ground up, the people run away from the epicenter of the roiling storm of magic and the furious witch at its epicenter.

In all the chaos, a small yet so very important letter goes unnoticed, blown away by gale force winds yet somehow untouched by the sheer manic fury unleashed close by.

The people don’t notice it, screaming and scrambling over one another to escape the unleashed fury of the owl lady. If they would, however, they would find a mere few sentences, and to all but one person those words would mean nothing, never mind being enough of a catalyst to set off a living force of nature such as had happened now.

  
  


_If you wish to see your apprentice again,_

_Meet me at the emperor’s castle at dusk._

_Lilith Clawthorne_

Eda takes off then, but not towards the emperor’s castle. Her sister had said dusk, and there at dusk, she would be.

Titan help Lilith, sister or not. If she’d harmed a hair on the kid’s head.

\--

  
  


Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

On, off, on, off, on again, and off again her pent went. Eyes focussed on the dim pink light that shone from the plastic diamond at the edge of her pen.

She’d been here for what felt like hours now. The moment she’d arrived at the castle, she’d been whisked away into a room, the strange figure that had taken her to the castle placed in front of the door.

She looked over the room, plain stone made up the walls, ceiling and floor, though she supposed the slitherbeast rug that took up a decent chunk of the floor counted too.

There were a few cabinets she’d not bothered to check through, a pretty damn big bed. She could easily put two of herself stacked up on the bed in it’s length and width, it was really soft too.

The massive walk in wardrobe and bathrooms were neat too, if really empty again. She’d grabbed a glass and filled it up in the sink before moving over and sitting on the small desk that was next to her bed.

After that, she’d spent a few minutes trying to get the stoic figure to speak to her. Hadn’t worked. After that she’d spent a while drawing light glyphs, the tiny golden balls floating around the room now, a few more ice and fire glyphs she’d drawn after that. But she’d stuffed those in her bag, who knows when she might need them.

Currently, she was simply just sitting at the dark wooden desk, chair propped up on its back two legs, mindlessly clicking away at her pen in an attempt to pass the time.

_She silently hoped it was annoying the figure standing in front of the door_.

She glances out the window to find the sun laying low, bathing the skies in hues of orange and reds in its trek towards the horizon.

_Guess I’m not making it to dinner._ Eda’s going to be pissed when she gets back.

A crash rocks the castle then, and Luz finds herself falling backwards, she sticks out her arms. Trying to right herself to no avail.

She closes her eyes, preparing to hit the ground, when something in the air shifts.

When she opens her eyes again, her chair is back on all fours, and the figure has moved from the door, standing behind her with a hand on the back of the chair.

“Uh, thanks?” She tries. It says nothing, merely walking soundlessly back to the door. 

A few more crashes appear one after another, the crackle of lightning reaches her ears and she’s pretty sure she sees a blast of blue fire careen past one of the windows.

She’s about to try and see what’s going on, when the door opens. Kikimora appears in the doorframe.

“The Emperor has summoned you.” Is all she says. Luz sighs, walking over to the desk, gathering her bag and all its contents before putting on a brave face and facing the small demon once more.

“Well, let’s do this.” she says, following as the emperor’s right hand woman leads her through the winding catacombes. A quick look behind her confirms the odd figure has slotted in behind them and is following them.

Looking forward again, her brow furrows.

“Is your hair just made up of hands, or are they hands that act like hair?” She asks, and Kikimora turns around to look at her, opening her mouth before closing it again.

“I have no idea.”

\--

The throne room, on the best of days. Is a dark and dreary room, the black stone and absence of natural light combined with the braziers give it an ominous feeling.

Today even more so, the guards are gone, having been dismissed some time prior, the fires in the braziers burn low. The only things alive are the beating heart suspended above the throne room, and the masked figure sitting on it.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. A finger wreathed in a golden gauntlet taps rhythmically, in sync with the beating of the monstrous organ above the throne.

The faint thundering of magic unleashed on the other side of the castle reaches his ears, but all it does is make him smile.

_Just a few moments more_. He thinks to himself, a few moments. And everything will fall into place.

Just then, the doors open, and Kikimora walks in, the shade behind her. In between the two of them, the human between the two of them.

_And the first piece arrives_. 

His form loses all solidity, dripping off of the throne and reforming in front of the trio. He feels a pang of disgust and unease from the human as she looks at him warily.

“I see you made the right decision.” He says, before turning to the other two figures in the room.

“Leave us be.” They nod, and within ten seconds the two of them are alone within the room.

He holds out a hand, Luz clutches the portal key around her neck fiercely, before looking into the black holes of his mask, meeting his gaze with a steadiness not many dare to.

“If I give you this, you will heal Eda?” She says, and he nods. “I shall heal her of the curse that her sister afflicted her with.” He says it with such a nonchalant tone, but the words have the intended effect.  
  
Luz flinches back as if struck, looking at him as if he’s just grown a second head. “What?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Well that must mean the Owl Lady herself is also unaware as to the identity of the person who cursed her, my what a shock it will be when she finds out.”

Her eyes are darting all across the room, her mouth opens before closing a few times, she’s unable to grasp the right words to refute the statement before a strangled “Why?” leaves her lips.

He shrugs. “I guess we shall never know, unless of course. You want to ask her?” He feels anger at that, but not at him.

“Now then.” He holds his hand out again. “The key?” She grabs it again, this time pulling the leather chain up over her head as she moves it towards the open palm. She hesitates however, as she’s about to drop it into his hand.

“Something the matter?” Belos asks, and she swallows before looking up at him again. 

“If I give you this, how will I get home?” She asks.

“The day of unity approaches quickly, after that I will have no use for this trinket anymore. You may have it back then.” She once again doesn’t detect a lie, but the mention of such a day makes her frown.

“Day of unity, what’s that?” 

“The titan has given me a vision, a plan on a scale almost unfathomable.” he says, apparently satisfied with the cryptic nature of the answer. She however, frowns.

_He’s lying._ Her mind supplies, and the moment Belos’ head _snaps_ back to her her eyes go wide. She’d said it aloud, hadn’t she?

“What?” He says, somehow able to make sounding utterly dumbfounded terrifying.

“You’re lying.” She says once more, “I know you are, you were lying i-in my dream too, when you said you were the titan’s messenger.” She makes him actually take a step back at that.

Whilst a smug grin plasters itself on Luz’ face, Belos’ mind is working overtime to process the information just presented.

“You can sense my intent?” He asks after a small pause, and she shrugs. “I don’t really know? I just know I can tell when you’re lying.” 

He lets out a small chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

“What a peculiar thing, this connection between us is. Do you wish to know how I knew you were there in the castle?” He asks and she raises an eyebrow but doesn’t object, so he continues.

“Your disgust, I sensed it through the walls. I suppose it had something to do with our proximity ,but I just _knew_ you were there.”

“That is.. seriously creepy.” She says

Not how he would have personally said it, but he can’t help but agree there.

“So, what now?” She asks, putting the key in his palm. Before he can respond however the doors _fling_ themselves open, almost blown off of their hinges by the force applied to them as a creature storms into the room . 

He’s barely able to grab the human and teleport the both of them out of the way before a massive feathered curse beast pounces where they had been standing moments prior.

He takes a discreet step to the side as he feels nausea bubble up within the human, managing to avoid the splash zone as the girl pukes her guts up. 

“My apologies, I forget how teleportation affects those unfamiliar with it.” He says, making a mental note to have that cleaned up the moment this business is wrapped up.

His attention shifts then, to the chaos unfolding within the room.

Lilith is chasing her sister’s cursed form as it seems to be going on a rampage throughout the room. 

_And there are the other pieces._

He grabs his staff from within his cloak, the bright red orb crackling with energy as he raises it towards the cursed creature. Trapping it within a bubble of red and suspending it in the air.

Lilith’s gaze snaps to him, and she drops to a knee. “My empero-” 

She is cut off then, by a scream of “YOU!” And a blur that slams into her with enough force to take her off balance. It takes Belos a moment to realize that there is nobody standing next to him anymore, and that Luz is currently attacking the leader of his coven with a hilarious, and slightly terrifying degree of efficiency.

_Who knew hair pulling would be so effective._

Ignoring the scene in favour of the creature snarling and clawing at its prison, he brings her closer. The creature notices him then, and tries to tear at his face with razor sharp claws as it struggles to break through the bubble.

He lifts up his staff, and with a flash of blinding red light…

“-wear to the titan I am going to rip your face off and use it as a coaster you two bit, no good, double crossi…. huh?” The newly un-cursed Owl lady says, finally taking notice of her state.

The bubble disappears then with an audible “POP” letting the wild witch hit her butt on the cold stone floor.

“Ow.” She groans, standing up once again. Before finally seeming to notice _who_ she’s standing in front of, she tries to summon her staff only to find herself unable to.

“What did you do to me?” She growls.

“I removed your curse, the transformation drained your bile completely. It will be a few days before you completely recover.”

That seems to stump the owl lady. “Uh, why?” In response he holds up a key, a _very_ familiar key that has her growling at him, literally.

“I swear if you put even a hand on that girl I will-” Belos holds up a hand then, cutting her off.

“Luz is fine.” He says, and just hearing him say her name creeps Eda out. “It’s your sister you should be worried about.”

“Huh?” 

Belos merely points his staff, motioning her to look behind herself, and when she looks at what he’s pointing at, she’s witness to the singular most absurd sight she’s ever seen.

Luz, riding on her sister’s shoulders, both hands pulling at her hair with intensity that has Eda flinching, all the while a torrent of what are no doubt curses in her native language pour from her lips.

"- de rata embustera!"

“How long has this been going on?” She asks. 

“About a minute?” He says, and Eda lets out a whistle. “Damn, she’s _really_ giving it a good go, isn’t she?” He doesn’t respond.

“By the way, why is she going all… that, on Lilith?” She asks, waving in the general direction of where her sister is still being assaulted by her student.

“I would assume it has to do with the fact she was made aware of Lilith being the one to curse you all those years ago.”

“What.” Eda says then, though it almost comes out as a genuine growl. She rolls up a pair of imaginary sleeves, beginning to move towards the fighting witches in order to give Luz a hand.”

“Not so fast.” A voice calls out, followed by a snap of fingers, and suddenly she’s back in a red orb.

_Check._ Belos thinks, before snapping his fingers once more, disentangling the two fighting figures and drawing their attention to him.

  
  


Two pairs of eyes find the newly uncursed form of the owl lady at the same time.

“Eda!”  
  
“Edalyn.” 

“Luz, what’s the meaning of this?” Eda asks, turning to the human girl. Lilith stops and stares at the girl too, there’s tears forming in her eyes and she’s fidgeting with her hands.

“I, he promised me he’d heal your curse if I brought him the key. Your curse was getting worse and I didn’t know what to do….. I didn’t want to lose you.” 

“Kid, you didn’t need to. We would’ve found something, you know we would have.” Luz shakes her head then.

“What happens now?” Belos asks, the question directed at everyone in the room.

“Now she’ll join the emperor’s coven.” Lilith says, and all eyes are on her.

Luz looks like the only thing restraining her from jumping the witch is the red magic holding her in place. Eda’s expression doesn’t differ much.

“Not exactly.”

“What?” Both Lilith and Luz say at the same time, whilst Eda just shoots the emperor a distrusting glare.

“The agreement was healing the owl lady, past that all bets are off, and last I checked she still is a wanted criminal with a long history of violent and destructive behaviour.”

Luz glares at him, whilst Lilith’s eyes widen.

“But you promised me-”

“A promise from which I would have gained nothing? I’m surprised at your naivety Lilith, I had thought you better than that.” 

“So, what now?” Eda asks, looking worryingly resigned.

“I’ll do nothing, you’re free to go, however considering you’re within my castle without magic, I don’t reckon you’ll get far. And if, or should I say, _when_ you’re caught. There is only one sentence you’ll be given.” 

Eda’s mouth dries.

“Petrification.”  
  
“Indeed.” He agrees, taking his eyes off of the owl lady to look at the other two women in the room.

_Which one will break first._

A small wave of his hand, and both are released. Luz looks confused for a bit, though fury is evident from her gaze, and from the gust of it that brushes past his psyche.

“Petrification?”  
  
“A death sentence.” Eda explains. And Luz goes _white._

Lilith however is at the opposite end of the spectrum, where the girl is the perfect fixture of silent fury and bone chilling horror, Lilith is one of barely restrained rage.

“You, you promised me. All these years, everything I did... “ Her shoulders heave with deep breaths, he can hear the creaking of the staff in her white-knuckled grip from here.

“YOU BASTARD!” 

There’s a flash of blue, and Lilith raises her staff to bathe the room in fire, spouting out a torrent of cerulean flames that Belos merely raises his hand towards, a pale red shield sprouting into existence which absorbs the flames like a sponge in water.

_And mate._ He thinks, allowing a full smile to blossom on his face, unseen to the other participants in the room.

He snaps his fingers again, and Lilith finds herself in the same bubble as her sister.

“Attacking your emperor? I believe that carries with it the sentence of petrification as well? always knew your sentimentality would be your downfall.” He sneers, looking at the raven haired witch’s defeated expression.

“Of course, there is another option.” He says, and he turns to look at Luz, she seems to shake from her stupor then, giving him a furious glare in return.

Eda’s eyes widen. “Kid, whatever he says, don’t agree. Do you understand me?”

Luz, to her horror, ignores her. “What is it?”

“I will let them go, absolve them of all their crimes and leave them be. _If_ you agree to stay here.”

“Why?” Luz says. 

“This… Bond of ours, it is an enigma to me, I wish to get to the bottom of it, I assume you do, too?” Luz seems to weigh her options.

“Kid, don’t!” Eda says.

“On one condition.” Luz says, and Belos has to cancel the sound out of the orb because of the amount of yelling the owl lady partakes in following that statement.

“I’m listening.”

“An everlasting oath.” Luz says.

“Is my word not good enough?” He asks, amused at the suggestion.

“Lilith had your word too.” She counters, vitriol evident in every syllable.

“Lilith was a pawn, you are _not_. But I suppose given the situation, your request is reasonable.” He draws the pale circle, and she all but thrusts her hand into his.

“I will stay with you here tonight, in return you will let Eda and Lilith go, you will absolve them of all crimes and you will never bother them again.” 

“I agree.” He says. With the bond sealed, he releases the sphere containing the Clawthorne sisters

“Kid.” Eda says, running over to Luz and wrapping her up in a hug. 

“Trust me Eda, I’ve got this.” Luz says, and damn it if it doesn’t make Eda even more hesitant to let go.

“Now then, I believe both of you were leaving?”  
  
“If you touch even a hair on her body, magic or not. I will _end_ you. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” he mutters, before his staff glows red and both of the Clawthorne sisters disappear in flashes of light.

“Well then, now that’s done.” He mutters, snapping his fingers again, the ring of the eternal oath appears around his hand again, he hooks a finger under the line of light, and with a quick tug, rips it in twain.

“What did you just do?!” Luz mutters in horror. Watching as the circle around her own hand dissolves.

“Such a petty spell like an eternal oath means nothing to one such as I.”  
  
“So, you’re gonna go after them anyways?” Luz says, reaching a hand into her bag, it finds one of her glyph cards when Belos answers.

“No. I gave you my word, I hope this makes it clear that I intend to keep it, provided you keep to your end of the deal?” 

She detects no lie, and so she nods. “Yes, I’ll stay here tonight. I’ve been wondering about this connection myself.”

“Excellent, now I imagine this day has been taxing for you. I’ll have someone show you to your chambers.”

“No thanks, I know the way.” She says, and turns on her heel. Walking out of the throne room.

\--

She can’t sleep.

Well, Luz supposes it’s only natural. With what had happened today and all that, she looks at the gigantic bed to her right from where she’s sat on the small wooden chair. 

It really was an amazing bed. She doubted even her normal levels of tossing and turning would result in her falling out of that massive bed like she'd had a habit of doing back home. The pillows were amazing and the bed itself was so soft it was like sleeping on a cloud.

And yet sleep refused to come. Time and time again, the reminder of just where she was looping in her mind and eating away at any tiredness she might have felt. She’d given up trying what felt like a few hours ago, instead lazily sketching away to pass the time.

The creaking of her door opening has her frowning, standing within the doorframe is none other than the emperor himself.

“May I come in?”

“It’s your castle.” She mutters. Frowning at the giant witch as he enters her room.

“I see sleep has eluded you tonight. The same goes for me.” He tries to start a conversation, and she almost laughs at the sheer awkwardness of the statement, if it had been anyone _but_ him, she probably would have.

“Yeah.” Is all she says instead, before noticing where he’s looking, or well, where she thinks he’s looking. That mask of his makes it mighty hard to know where exactly his eyes are focussed.

“May I?” He asks, hovering a hand over the stack of papers halfway hanging out of her bag.

“Sure.” She mutters, he picks them up. Looking them over for a bit before turning to her again. 

“When did you draw these?”

“The oldest one is the Gryphon, I drew that when I was nine. Ever since that night I’ve had dreams of the isles, up to like a month ago.”

“Five years ago, till a month ago…” She catches him muttering, she looks at him, expecting a reply, but he doesn’t give her one.

“You do realize, I _know_ about your plans, right?”

“Uh, what?”

“I’ll come with you **_tonight_ **.” He says, emphasizing the last word. “Smart, working such a loophole into an eternal oath, on anyone else I have no doubt it would have worked.”

She grits her teeth in annoyance.

_Damn it, busted._

“But, then again. Those _are_ the terms I agreed to.” He muses. “I meant it, when I said I’ll keep my word, but I do wish to add a stipulation.

“Which is?” She asks him.

“If you can escape the castle without getting caught, or if you can best me, you are free to go. If you try to run away after school or such a thing the deal is off.” She frowns, but she supposed after once again detecting no lies, that it’s really the only option she has.

“Fine.” She grumbles, and he nods.

“Excellent.” Belos holds out a hand then. “I have something to show you. Please brace yourself, I’d rather not have to clean up another pile of vomit.” He adds, after she hesitantly takes his hand. Causing her to blush in embarrassment.

A flash of magic later has her stomach doing backflips and her teeth clenching because _no she is not throwing up again_.

When she opens her eyes, they are standing in a small room, one that is covered _wall_ to _wall_ with drawings of all sorts of things.

“What is this?” 

“These are drawings I made, based off of flashes of memories I suspect came from this bond, they started five years ago. The same time your dreams of the isles did.” He supplies as she grabs a drawing off of the wall, one depicting a pair of eyes.

“You mentioned you stopped having those dreams a month ago, at that same time, these flashes stopped. I suspect the two of them are connected somehow.” He says, frowning when he receives no response.

He walks closer to the girl, trying to catch a glimpse of the drawing she is holding.

“Ah, that was one of the-“

“Mom.” Luz says, and his jaws click shut.

She turns to him, holding up the eyes so he can see them better.

“These are mom’s eyes.” She says, incredulity lacing Her voice. “Camilia Noceda, ring a bell?”

He shakes his head “Unfortunately not.” She frowns but doesn’t comment, instead pocketing the picture sneakily.

_He notices, but can’t bring himself to bring it up._

“There is one, you might find interesting.” He says, summoning a specific picture. Luz gasps when she sees it, it’s her, a few years younger but undoubtedly her, tears are streaming down her face and she’s nuzzling- oh my god that’s Hecate!!

“I- wha- how?” How was this one so different from all the others, why was this one so important?

“Do you remember anything from that event?” He asks.

“I remember, mom was mad at me for something I didn’t do, and then I was sent up to my room and there was Hecate-“

“Hecate, the snake?” He asks. _Odd name to give a pet._

“Yeah, she was hurt, a mouse had gotten into her enclosure and there was blood and bone and I remember feeling so angry and sad and-“

Her eyes widen, and she looks at him again, two parts hesitant and three parts shocked.

“There was a light, and suddenly she was healed… you don’t think?”

“I _know.”_ He answers the unsaid question.

  
“That was magic. _Your_ magic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! The longest chapter in this fic as of yet.
> 
> Belos and Luz are together now, what will happen with that?
> 
> Lilith's out of the coven and Eda knows, whilst Luz' friends are worried
> 
> Find out what happends next time on Dragon ba- Little light
> 
> Please leave kudos if you enjoyed it, and as always I adore hearing what you guys have to say via comments


	8. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, here's the next chapter! 
> 
> First of all [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) as per usual has been an awesome editor and someone who has helped me with this fic's plot.
> 
> Also, this chapter signifies this fic's rating being changed to Mature, and there is some violence and gore in the last part of the chapter, so be warned.

The Owl House was never quiet. Sometimes it drove King to the edge of insanity, but more often than not, the rambunctious nature of the house was just a fact of everyday life. He almost preferred it to a castle. _Almost_. Especially with the newest addition to their motley band.

Luz the human was… well, both literally and figuratively out of this world. She was amazing and nice and just a bundle of joy that had nestled herself firmly within the dynamic between Eda, King… and Hooty.

Which is why it hurt, _so much_ , to only be able to look at her picture.

She’d left her phone with King, and he’d almost emptied the battery, which was horrible because it meant soon enough he wouldn’t get to look at the pictures of Luz anymore.

It still wasn’t Luz, but it was better than no Luz, which was something he really hoped didn’t happen.

Today, like most days in the owl house, it was loud. _Extremely_ so, but he definitely preferred the quiet over this.

“Almost thirty years, and “sorry” is the best you can come up with, really?”

“What do you want me to do, Edalyn? Honestly, what?!”

Eda and Lilith had come home early in the morning, apparently having walked from the emperor’s castle, and the moment they’d both entered Eda had swung for her sister with Owlbert. It almost hit, too. After that, they’d begun screaming at each other.

It was almost noon, and they _still_ showed no sign of slowing down.

“I can’t believe you actually thought that, that _tyrant_ was going to cure me, and because of what? You asking him _nicely?”_ Eda spits out at her sister, King reckons the only reason that spells aren’t flying through the air is because Eda’s apparently out of magic.

“It was the only choice I had Eda! You said it yourself remember? The curse accelerating and all that, if you’d just _listened_ to me, if that stupid human hadn’t shown up.”

Eda goes very, _very_ still at that. “Her _name_ is **_Luz_ ** , and you are not pinning the blame for _you_ cursing me on her. This all happened because of _you_ and if you try to pull that shit again, I swear to the titan I will feed you to Hooty.”

Lilith suddenly feels something brush against her hair. Slowly she turns her head, only to come face to face with Hooty, sporting an uncomfortably excited look on his face.

“Really Eda?” The house demon asks in a tone that makes it pretty clear to Lilith that Eda’s _not_ making an idle threat. She takes a few steps back, looking at Eda uncomfortably whilst the younger Clawthorne tries to pin her in place with a glare.

“Why is that hu-Luz, so important anyways?” She corrects after watching Eda’s glare deepen. 

“Wait, you seriously don’t know.” She asks, a few seconds later. “About the… _thing?”_

“Uh, what thing?” What is Eda talking about? Her eyes widen, she’s not talking about that is she?

“Y’know, the _thing_ involving Luz?” She hints, and Lilith huffs out in frustration. “Are you talking about the day of unity?”

“No, what’s that?” 

_Shit._ Lilith curses herself for letting something so huge slip, before realizing that she’s not in the emperor’s coven anymore… the thing she’d worked her entire life to obtain, gone.

“Wait, what were _you_ talking about?” She asks, dragging herself out of her momentary slump.

“Huh, you really don’t know, do you?” Eda says, putting her hands on her hips.

.

“Know _what_ Edalyn?!” She snaps, and Eda fixes her with a stare whilst pointing at her.

“None of that, you don’t _get_ to be angry at me right now.” She teases mockingly, but soon enough turns serious again.

“Ok, listen to me Lilith, what I’m telling you right now does. Not. Leave this room, alright?” Lilith nods hesitantly. This must be something big, if Eda of all people is being so secretive.  
  
“What about meeeee, I’m outside the room.” 

“You don’t count, Hooty.” Eda deadpans.  
  
“Awwww.”

When Eda turns to her, Lilith can swear she sees a fire in the owl lady’s eyes. “Do you understand?”  
  
Lilith nods. “I do.”

Eda sighs.

“Luz, she’s his kid.”

A beat of silence.

Lilith blinks.

“What?” Surely she’s not heard that one right, it sounded almost like Eda had said that the human.. Was Belos’s… child.

“E-Eda that’s insane!” she splutters. “Never mind impossible, I’ve been in the coven for what? Almost thirty years? He’s never so much as taken a day off, surely you must have misheard.”

“I wish I had.” Eda says. “No, unfortunately this seems to be the case, she- they seem to have found out quite recently. It happened the day of the field trip to the emperor’s castle, you know anything about that?”

“Now that you mention it, something odd did happen.” She admits, the way Eda and King look at her then makes it clear they expect her to elaborate.

“I was in the Emperor’s throne room, he’d summoned me… There was an intruder, Belos teleported out of the room to confront them.” Eda and King share a look.

“When we caught back up to the Emperor, something was definitely off.” She admits, _gods it’s hard to admit such things_. She finds, despite her now covenless status, the thought of discussing such sensitive information about the Emperor still makes her feel queasy.

“Off, how?” Eda asks.

“He was on his knees.” Lilith admits, recalling how that sight had made her breath stop in her lungs. “A flash of something went around the corner the same time I caught up to him, I gave the order to pursue. But he stopped me, said it was “just a student”. Eda, he was _shaking._ ”

“Seems like the kid wasn’t the only one affected.” Her sister mutters, throwing herself down on the couch. “Poor kid thought I’d hate her, that I’d send her home just for being that creep’’s kid.”

“Well, what now?” Lilith asks.

“Now, _you’re_ helping me get Luz back, or you’re kissing the thought of staying here goodbye. Need I remind you of the fact she saved _your_ skin too.” She adds the latter part when her sister’s mouth opens, no doubt to offer some prudish rebuttal borne of pride and what are no doubt decades of having to bottle up faults and problems in order to appear flawless.

Lilith wants to remind her sister that this is something that will end up with them on the run at best, and petrified at worst, something that will no doubt come crashing down around them to hammer that final nail in the coffin of their relationship and likely they themselves, too, but her mind catches on a particular fragment of the thing Eda had just said.

“Staying here?” She asks.

“Yeah? Last I checked, _you’re_ the homeless one.” Eda snorts. “Suck it, mom and dad.”

“B-but the curse? And the hu- Luz?!” This doesn’t make any sense, Eda has spent the last… several hours calling her every name under the sun, and now she’s offering her a place to stay??

“Oh trust me, I haven’t forgotten about the curse, and I haven’t forgiven you, not by a long shot.” Eda takes a shaky breath then, no doubt to swallow another insult meant for the elder of the two sisters. “But, I can’t just let you live on the street, and you’re the best bet at getting Luz back, provided my plan doesn’t work.”

“Plan?”  
  
Eda nods. “I’ve got a plan, one that he’ll never expect.”

“What about the everlasting oath?” Lilith counters, drawing a chuckle from the owl lady.

“I’m proud of her for that one, almost as if I’d taught her that myself.” Eda admits, wiping a tear from her eye, Lilith just looks at her confusedly.

“The wording, everlasting oaths are finicky like that, she said she’d stay there _tonight._ She never made any allusions to actually y’know, _staying_ there permanently.”

Lilith’s eyes widen. “A loophole?” She lets out a huff. “I have to say, I’m impressed.”

The grin Eda shoots her is about 50% pride, 50% smug and a full hundred percent adoration.

“That’s my kid for ya.”

\--

If Luz wasn’t looking forward to school a few days ago, she was positively _dreading_ it now.

Thankfully she was able to convince the escort from the emperor’s castle that _no_ , she didn’t need to be brought to the steps of school, she wasn’t _five._ Because _that_ would have made today even _worse_.

Hopefully nobody had seen him, no offense to Steve, he was really nice. 

She spotted Gus and Willow on the steps, talking among each other. _Finally, people to talk to._

“Willoooow, Guuus!” She shouted, breaking off into a run, the two of them stopped their conversation to look at her, were they frowning? 

“Guys, what’s wrong?” She asks when the two of them share a glance. 

“I think that’s more of a question for _us_ to ask, don’t you think?” Luz whirls around, finding Amity looking at her with a frown on her face.

“Uh, what are you talking about?” She chuckles awkwardly, eyes darting around for anyone listening in.

“You mean, besides me seeing you getting escorted by an emperor’s guard not five minutes ago.”

_Aw crud._

Her shoulders slump, and she sighs. “Fair enough, but not here. Alright? Meet me at the grudgeby field after school, okay?” All three of them nod at that.

\--

“WHAT THE FUCK?”

Luz had been dreading this, telling her friends… Well she honestly had no clue what their reactions would be. And as much as it pained Luz, even though they were the best friends she’d ever had… She’d only known them for a month.

_Kinda sad to think about, really._

Anyways, self-pitying aside, she was worried. In her head she hoped for a best-case scenario like with Eda and King, but she was really doubting that.

So, with a heavy heart and a drag in her steps, she met the three of them after school, and she told them _everything._

Well, almost everything, the thing about the magic was best kept to herself.

The dreams she’d been having since she’d been a little kid, the encounter in the emperor’s castle when they’d gone there on the school trip, the dreamscape and the key. She went into detail about the exchange and Eda’s curse, about Lilith’s removal from the emperor’s coven, even the details about her and Belos’ late night discoveries in the towers, about him having a drawing of her mother’s eyes. She’d even shown the drawing to them.

Somewhere along the lines of the story during the school trip, the three of them had just gone dead silent, looking at her with almost open mouths and expressions of pure disbelief, which cleared to horror and back to disbelief again.

When Luz had finished her tale, she’d been expecting a lot of things.. For Gus to call her a liar? Probably. For Willow to just slowly back away and never speak to her again? Likely. For Amity to cuss her out and cut her off for daring to insult her mentor? Definitely.

She’d not expected the silence to be broken, by someone swearing loud enough to drive a nearby flock of… were those noses? To scramble into the air.

Much less the fact that the culprit was none other than _Willow._

_So yeah, that was a thing._ Only Amity and Gus hadn’t said anything yet, and she was really becoming a bit worried at the shade Willow’s face was taking on.

“Well… I can’t say I expected _that._ ” Amity breaks the uncomfortable silence then, a fact that Luz could have kissed her for, if she wasn’t so sure the girl would be weirded out by it.

“Yeah, certainly not a dull moment with you around.” Gus admits.

“Honestly, I expected… More of a reaction?” Luz admits, voice light but with a twist in her stomach, dreading this being the calm before the proverbial storm.

“I mean… Our neighbour used to be in a cult.” Gus says, “Honestly he might still be, gotta ask him that sometime.” and the way it’s so casually mentioned reminds Luz of the fact that _no, they are definitely not dealing with earth standards right now._

“We’ve gone through like, five neighbours in the past decade.” Amity adds “If mom doesn’t like them, they go. Willingly or…. otherwise.”

“Oh yeah, your mom’s scary Amity, remember the incident with the pine trees?” Luz can almost _feel_ the shiver that goes up amity’s spine at that. “Please don’t remind me.” SHe hisses, before adding “-Wait, how do you remember that, we were like five?”

“Wait, so your mom just _told_ you about what I’m assuming is murdering the neighbours, whilst you guys were five years old?!” 

Willow and Amity shudder in unison 

  
“She didn’t tell us, we were there.” 

“Y’know what, suddenly having a tyrannical cult leader as a dad really becomes less and less weird when you put it in context.” Luz mutters, and the light chuckle they share afterwards makes her feel a bit- a _lot_ better about the whole situation.

Suddenly, a brush near them rustles, and all four of them are on edge.

“Hey kid, how ‘you doing?” The four of them let out a sigh of relief as the owl lady steps out from the bushes. Luz runs over immediately, wrapping her arms around the witch’s midsection in a hug.

“Eda, how are you?!” She all but squeals out.

“Well kid, seems like ol sourpuss kept his end of the bargain at least, not a feather on me. Now you coming or what?”  
  
Luz blinks. “Huh?”

Eda shoots her a proud smirk. “Good stunt you pulled with Belos by the way, that’s something I would’ve done.”

Luz’ eyes turn to the ground. The reminder of her failure putting quite the dampener on her mood.

“He found out.” Eda blinks.

“So, you’re still under oath. Aren’t you?”

Luz shakes her head. “No, he broke the oath with his magic.” All of them gasp at that.

“I didn’t know that was possible.” Amity breathes.

“Me neither.” Gus admits.

Eda growls after regaining her senses. “Well, that doesn’t really matter now does it? C’mon kid let’s go.”

“I-” Luz begins, before falling silent. _She desperately wants to go with the owl lady_ …. But, she wants to know about this weird thing between her and Belos too, and there’s the deal she’d agreed to yesterday to take into account too...

“Eda, if I do, it means you’re back on the run.” Luz argues, Eda just brushes her off.

“Pfft kid, I’ve been on the run since I was 16, doesn’t make a difference to me if they put me back on the no-no list.” Eda looks completely unbothered by the fact she’s talking about going back to being wanted by the law.

“What about Lilith though?” Luz tries, and Eda’s face morphs into a frown. “Kid, you’re not seriously telling me you’re doing this for _Lilith_ , right? You had a pretty good go at her yesterday.”

“I mean, I’m still furious at her. But even she doesn’t deserve to have her life ruined like that, and this might be the only way I can find out what exactly this connection is.” 

“Kid, are you _sure_ about this? This is _Belos_ we’re talking about, here.”   
  
“Yeah, and he’s my _father_ , like it or not,” Luz counters, and Eda frowns.

She sighs at that. “I still don’t like it, and I mean _really_ don’t like it. But if you think it’s the right call, I won’t stop you.” She holds up a finger, though. “If you feel like calling it quits, you come running ok? Damn Belos, damn Lilith and damn being a member of society, ok?”

Luz nods, before explaining further. “He told me that if I bested him, _or_ if I could escape the castle I would be free to go, so if I play this right, I could keep you and your sister free, learn more about this connection _and_ be back in the owl house before the month is up.”

“Well.” Eda sighs. “I guess I’ll be going back to the owl house then, ‘you need anything?”

“Could you bring me some other clothes tomorrow?”  
  
“ ‘Course kid, no- IIIEEEHHH” Eda jumps a solid two feet in the air as she turns around to find the masked visage of a figure in the emperor’s coven not a foot away from her face.

Luz hears the sound of roots breaking through stone and the familiar sloshing of a moving Abomination, looking back she finds all of her friends ready to attack, Eda meanwhile looks not dissimilar to a scared cat, hair puffed up and all.

“How long have you been standing there?”

The figure shrugs.

“Well, that’s tooootally not creepy.” Eda mutters, relaxing her grip on owlbert somewhat from when she was ready to swing at the masked figure not moments prior. She turns to Luz one last time.

“See ya tomorrow kid.” And with that she leaves back the way she came from, into the bushes.

Of course, not before giving the masked figure the finger first.

Luz can’t help but smile

\--

_This was the furthest she’d ever been down here_. Luz thought, descending down black stone steps into the bowels of the castle. When she’d arrived back from school, the red demoness had met her at the gates, mentioning that Belos had wanted to see her and that she was to follow.

They’d been walking for a good ten minutes now, and Luz was coming to a new realization.

_She_ **_really_ ** _hated stairs._

Seriously, they just went on and _on and on,_ carrying them further downwards, the only light being the red flames hanging from braziers on the walls, illuminating the dull black rock. It didn’t look as much built as it looked to have been simply carved from a solid block of stone, there were no seams from masonry, no small holes or rounded edges, just sheer rock face encasing them from all sides.

It was strangely beautiful, all things considered.

Luz was so enamoured by the craftsmanship, she didn’t notice the steps had stopped, stumbling forwards and almost falling atop her guide in her haste to correct herself.

“We have arrived.” Kikimora said, pointing to a pair of wooden doors that just seemed to go _on_ and _on._ They were absolutely massive, yet seemed miniscule when compared to the black wall they were set inside of. Two guards stood on either side, opening the doors for her as she was ushered inside by Kikimora. They shut just as quickly behind her, leaving her in the gigantic room.

The walls, as far as she can see, are made of that same carved black rock, though this time there’s some masonry visible. Eight gigantic pillars, four on each side, line the room, flanking it like massive sentries. There’s an utterly ridiculous chandelier suspended at the very roof, basking the entire room in an orange light.

There are no paintings or murals here, like in the castle itself. The only thing in this room, at least at the moment, seems to be her.

There’s a gigantic table in the very center of the room, as white as freshly fallen snow. Patterns of swirling amber offset the pale wood. She runs her hand along its surface. It’s smooth, incredibly so. She takes a glance at the- she counts eleven chairs placed evenly around the table’’s circumference. She notices the symbols carved into the backs of the chairs, recognising them as the symbols of the various covens.

All except one. It’s a larger seat than the others, placed opposite of the chair with the sign of the emperor’s coven on it, and it’s inlaid with a symbol she doesn’t recognise.

It’s a skull, two small horns sprout from its head.

_The titan’s skull._ Her eyes widen in recognition, recalling the massive head almost touching the horizon, when Eda had given her that view of the isles. 

“So that’s the emperor’s seat.” She mutters, flinching at the echo that sounds throughout the room.

_A meeting room?_ She supposes that makes the most amount of sense, she takes a few steps back, dragging the seat next to the one with the titan’s skull back a little bit. The construction coven symbol is the one on this chair’s back, she notices.

Grabbing her bag from her waist, she empties its contents on the table. Grabbing her pen, she goes to work, sketching the room.

She’s halfway done with the pillars opposite of her, when she catches something out of the corner of her eye. Turning to look she almost falls off her chair with a yelp.

The seat next to her suddenly isn’t so empty.

“Oh, you finally noticed?” Belos mutters, a hint of amusement in his voice that gives Luz the creeps.

“How long have you been sitting there?” 

“About five minutes.”

“Oh.” Luz mutters, then-

“Were you just staring at me the whole time?”

That draws a small snort of amusement, followed by a shaking of the Emperor’s head.

“No, I was watching you draw, you seem to have quite the knack for it.” He reaches out a hand then, grabbing one of the square papers that houses one of her glyphs. 

“Glyphs.” He says, and Luz detects equal parts wonder and something else in his voice. “I haven’t seen these in decades.” He mutters, before turning to her.

“How did _you_ figure this out?”

Luz scoffs, slightly insulted by the unintentional jab at her. “Eda taught me, since I can’t use magic like witches normally can.”

Belos presses his finger down gently on the pale yellow paper, following it upwards as it crumples up and absorbs itself into a little ball of light.

“I remember when this was the way most magic was cast.” He mutters, plucking the orb out of the air.

“What happened?” Luz asks.

“People happened, as they always do.” He mutters in contempt. “A spell such as this takes nothing out of the wielder. The most pathetically weak witch on the isles could level a city, given the appropriate canvas, using one of these. I put an end to their usage as one of the first commands of my rule.”

“Doesn’t that seem a bit… excessive?” She mutters. The sigh he lets out at that is one that feels like it’s carrying a lifetime of regret with it.

“Anyways, I didn’t summon you here to discuss things about that nature. There is something _much_ more interesting that I am planning on delving into.”

“This weird bond?” Luz asks, and he shakes his head again.

“The fact that you did magic, without a bile sac.” He mutters, summoning forth the picture of her with her little snake again.

“You said that yesterday, but from what Eda told me, the whole reason that witches can even _do_ magic is because of that bile, right?”

“That is the leading theory, yes. But that leads to a question of its own. _How_ did you do magic then?” 

Luz’ brow scrunches up. _That should be impossible, if what he’s saying is correct._ Her eyes widen.

“You mean-”

He nods, and when he speaks again there’s a slight tinge of pride to his words.

“Think of it like this. You’re sat upon a carriage drawn by Thracian mares. You might be moving yes, but it is not _you_ that is moving the carriage, you merely control the direction.” Belos explains.

“Oh, so like turning the steering wheel on a car?” 

“A what?”

“Uh, never mind.” Luz mutters “So you mean to say that instead of like, using that bile to create the magic itself, you use it to dictate what form the magic takes?”

He nods again. “And that is what makes me so curious about you, because from what I can tell, that would essentially make you the equivalent to a carriage without someone to reign the mares in. You might arrive at your destination whole, or they might run amuck and eat some unfortunate traveller.”

“Uh, horses don’t eat people?” The stare he fixes her with has her rethinking those words quite quickly.

“Oh, yeah. Boiling Isles, hehe.” 

“Indeed.” He agrees.

“Wait.” She mutters. “If that’s true and all, how come I was able to do that in the human realm, last I checked magic isn’t a thing back home.”

“Oh but it is, there is just no way for you humans to take advantage of it.” He says. “That is why you are a special case.”

“Why, because I’m half-witch?” She frowns as she says the words.

“Not exactly. It has more to do with _our_ relationship.”

The silence that stretches on in the wake of that is the most uncomfortable one yet, neither of them break the silence for a good while, Luz’ eyes are glued to her drawings, trying to fight the urge to look at Belos, whose eyes she can _feel_ on her even with the mask on.

_But, she knows this won’t last forever,_ so she takes a deep breath, and meets his gaze.

“How?”

“You seem to possess the same inherent ability I do, to draw in and manipulate magic without the use for a circle or magic bile, magic in its _purest_ form, if you will.”

“Wait, really?”

He nods. “Yes, my forebears were able to do the same. I thought it would be a lost art when I inevitably pass on, and yet, here you are.”

“Is that why you’re so powerful?” She asks, and he inclines his head.

“Partially, I suppose.” He lifts up a finger, its tip glowing red. Luz _feels_ the ground shake beneath her as the walls warp and the pillars curve, solid rock behaving like clay, and all of that whilst only lifting a finger. It makes Luz’ breath hitch in her throat.

_Just_ **_how_ ** _powerful is he?_

The glow subsides, and like a coiled up spring being released, the tension just _snaps,_ everything winding itself back to its original shape within the blink of an eye.

  
  


“I know you’re no doubt planning on running off the second you can, and I _did_ agree to those terms, but as long as you’re staying here. I expect you in this room at four AM. We’ll try to figure out this connection, and try to find out what this magic is about.”

“Alright.” Luz supposes, when another thought pops into her mind, one that she can’t help but vocalize.

“What is this place?”

“These are the council chambers, where the leaders of the ten covens and I convene to discuss what is best for the isles.”

Luz nods, still something bothers her. “But, isn’t this room important? What if some accident happens?”

“Don’t fret about such a thing. This room has been protected against all forms of damage, be it internal or external.” Of course he didn’t mention himself as the exception, but that raised yet another question.

“Why?”

“Because it is safest, for you- and everyone else.” He stands up then. “I suppose we’re done for today, feel free to use the rest of your day how you see fit, but please. Do not leave the castle.”

  
With that final word Belos leaves the room, ascending up the stairs the long way. He could just teleport himself back to his room and be done with it, but he wants to simply think for a bit.

The girl was clever, almost _too_ clever. She’d already begun questioning the reason for their training location, and whilst he _was_ telling the truth, (anything else would have the girl calling him out, after all), he did see fit to omit _some_ of the truth.

There were those in the isles that made him worry about her safety, who would hunt her down and string her up by her entrails if they _knew_ just _who_ she was. There were no doubt traitors within his ranks, ones he hadn’t snuffed out and dealt with yet.

Ones that would relay any other location. He would kill whoever they sent, of course he would, not that they’d care. But all it would take was a singular lapse in judgement, a single stray spell or an arrow loosed from outside his vision. He wouldn’t risk it, ensconced within the bowels of his castle she was safe.

Even then, he worried. It was the reason he’d told the Shade to watch over her in the first place.

It drives him mad with rage, the mere thought of those vile creatures near his blood, it makes him think back to a time when their names last flowed from his lips, when they carried with them all the love and brotherhood and joy he possessed. 

That was fifty years ago, those memories have been ripped asunder by their words, tainted and trampled into the mud by their actions, spit and pissed upon by their very existence.

Their names would pass his lips once more, and only once. When he uprooted their burrows and hunted them down like dogs, when he would see their bloodlines ripped from the soil root and stem, when those- those _zealots_ were on their knees before him, begging and pleading for their lives. Only then he would speak their names.

And that time, it would not carry a tone of fraternity and belonging.

It would carry the promise of a screaming death, and no mercy.

\--

That night Belos is up once more, he guesses it to be four in the morning, yet sleep does not come to him. It has been a month since the tumultuous dreams have ceased, but five years of forced insomnia does not wear off within a single month.

So, he finds himself in his study once more. Looking over the hundreds- if not thousands of pictures he had drawn before him.

He grabs one of them. It’s a treeline, offset by pale, dead grass and a blue sky. Their leaves are brown, not the permanent orange-red the leaves in the isles are. The human realm, he guesses.

What he wouldn’t give, to simply _know_.

His senses pick up a mass of activity within the castle, and he is thankful once more. As a flash of frustration that is no doubt Luz’ passes through his mind.

_Already?_ He thinks with some degree of amusement.

\--

When he arrives in the throne room, the scene before him is a humorous one.

The shade has Luz by the scruff of her hoodie, the girl hanging limp with an expression that would not be amiss on a grouchy troll, Kikimora stands to their side, looking uncharacteristically angry, a few of his coven stand on the other side, and he does not miss the fact that they are _drenched_. He spots charred spots in a few of their cloaks.

“What is the meaning of this?” He asks, breaking the silence. 

Luz merely crosses her arms, looking away from him. Kikimora looks startled, before explaining.

“We caught her trying to escape, she was in the lower levels, near the gate.”

_The lower levels?_ He was impressed, to have come so far on her first attempt showed her craftyness.

It also highlighted the fact his coven was _definitely_ not as competent as he would like. He’d have to rectify that.

“Anything else?”

Kikimora splutters, before finding her words “She set five of our guards on fire, I had to douse them in water. She also knocked over a priceless painting from your crusading days.”

He nods, pauses for a bit, thinking.

And then-

“Show her to her room, try to keep her in there this time.”  
  
Kikimora looks affronted, before swallowing whatever response she was going to say and nodding.

“Very well, my emperor.”

\--

“Well, that didn’t work.”

Understatement of the century, Luz supposes. She’d been spotted sneaking towards the exit within the first ten minutes. It was only quick thinking that had saved her from being caught immediately.

But, it had, as she had been planning on, had the desired effect. She now knew a few things.

One, whilst the guards themselves were numerous, they were pretty easy to deal with. Kikimora would be a lot more difficult, and the shade?

_That_ was game over.

But that didn’t really matter. She’d also come to find out a few more things, mainly the layout of the castle and the routes the patrols seemed to take.

She looked at the sketch she’d drawn. It was rough and shoddy by her normal standards, but it would have to do. It also showed a fair few hallways leading out from her room.

She looked at the calendar. She’d not noticed it the first night for some reason, but right now? It was her most treasured ace in the hole.

Most of all, the date, exactly one week from now.

A _wailing star._

Seven nights, seven chances.

She had seven nights to find a route. The night that star passed over the isles her plan would fall in motion.

It was the only chance she had.

Tomorrow was another day however, Saturday to be exact, and Emperor or not, she’d promised her friends to hang out, and that was what she was going to do.

\--

Okay, Luz had a lot of complaints about her current stay in the castle, the whole “forced to stay” being at the top of that list. But the food?

_That_ was _not_ something she was going to complain about.

She wasn’t sure how healthy those pastries were that had been delivered to her doorstep, but that was something to worry about later, or well- never.

She’d cleared the gate, satchel on her hip, and was about to leave via the bridge, when a voice rang out.

“I hope this is not your second escape attempt?” She sighs, shoulders slumping as she turns around to find the visage of Belos staring back at her.

“No, I hope I can still hang out with my friends on the weekends, right?” 

“Depends, are you planning to come back here afterwards?”

“Yes.” She groans and he nods.

“Very well, but please do notify me next time.” She nods, and he sends a mental message to the shade that they are to shadow Luz throughout the day.

Something catches his eye then, from within the treeline. His eyes dart from the girl currently standing on the bridge and the quick flicker of a shape disappearing behind the tree.

And his blood _freezes._

\--

Aleksander Tyrwyn had always been a nobody. Orphaned at the age of seven, he had spent most of his life on the streets.

Until of course, _they_ had found him, they had clothed and fed him and shown him the truth. They had also shown him all the corruption, and the sickening things that happened on the isles and had made it clear to him what was responsible.

Or rather, _who._

“Belos.” He growled, the name itself enough to have his pupils dilating in fury and his brow creasing in barely contained rage.

He had many titles among the sheep of the isles.

He had three among his family, among the people that _knew_ what he was.

Usurper, monster, _false prophet._

A reckoning would come for him, and he would be instrumental in it. He had been given the task of spying. Thankfully even some of the bastard’s own coven could not stand his sickening being, and had provided him with routes and times to circumvent the patrols in order to spy.

_How pathetic, that his own followers despise him._

He had spotted something then, a small shape emerging from the black maw that was the castle’s gate. His eyes widened as Belos himself emerged behind the shape. He quickly extracted the images with a pair of memory tweezers. sending them off with a small teleportation spell.

No sooner had he done that, had the winds blown his hair in front of his right eye, which was odd because it had come from the opposite direction not moments prior-

He swung around, dagger at the ready.

His arm was caught with ease and his eyes widened.

“Now that’s just rude.” The emotionless gold mask of Emperor Belos muttered, towering over Aleksander who at 6’5” was definitely not a small man himself.

A second gauntleted hand emerged from within his cloak, plucking the dagger from his hand.

“Ah, I remember when these used to be the greatest thing. Cursed steel dipped in manticore venom. A single slice, and you’re as good as dead.”

He flipped the knife around, observing it as he let Aleksander go.

_Maybe if he-_ He thought, drawing a circle.

He got 1/8th of the way done, before Belos blurred, next thing he knew he was pinned to a tree, the emperor’s gauntleted paw around his neck, squeezing painfully. The knife came down slowly then, held within an icepick grip as the Emperor brought it ever closer to his eye.

“You are going to tell me what you know, or you are going to die screaming.”

Aleksander swallowed. His family would not save him, they had told him as much when he’d accepted this mission.

He knew what to do, what every member of the Red Truth knew to do in the case they got captured.

He bit off his tongue.

He swallowed down a scream along with the tip of his tongue as he forced an ugly smirk onto his lips, blood seeped out from between his teeth, and he locked eyes with the false prothet’s emotionless guise.

“I. Win.” He used his fading strength to make sure he said the words clearly, hoping to drive a wedge of frustration into the bastard’s heart.

Instead he laughed. A deep baritone that even as the shapes began to blur together had his every instinct telling him to run.

Then, something changed. The empty black holes lit up, dual rings of bright blue looking down at him.

“I am a man of my word.” Was all Belos said.

And true to his word, Aleksander died screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, that's chapter !
> 
> revelations, revelations and schemes aplenty
> 
> what will happen next
> 
> please feel free to let me know what you think is going to happen, as per usual I also accept screams be they angry or panicked
> 
> See you next chapter guys!


	9. Prelude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM, chapter 9. This one's a doozy, probably my favourite chapter thus far.
> 
> Finally decided to add Gwen to the character list, I've fallen in love with her and you can pry her from my cold dead hands.
> 
> As per usual, shoutout to [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) for editing the chapter

-Day one, Saturday-

  
  


The Boiling isles were not, and in all likelihood never would be, considered a safe place to live. Monstrous creatures inhabited every inch of its soil, the oceans boiled permanently, and, even with the Emperor’s oftentimes tyrannical governance, crime ran rampant.

Hidden markets, nighttime gatherings and criminal organizations were par for the course, really, a fact of life in their world.

There were however things, all but a few were unaware of still. Secrets locked away behind enchanted walls, and punishments that made petrification sound like community service.

The Red Truth was at the top of that list. One of many names they had taken over the years, a reference to their always wearing a piece of red on their person, a nickname of sorts.

Their true name dated back to the savage ages, to when they were known throughout the land, praised and feared by all.

The Cabal of the Titan.

That was a lifetime ago, their splendour had been taken from them, _stolen_ by that filth Belos. Their very existence had been censured. They were fugitives in a land rightfully theirs.

But their numbers were growing. More and more people were indicted into the truth every day, to join their community and learn their ways.

Soon, they would rise from the shadows, and the usurper would burn in the fires of his own lies.

Even now, within their subterranean lair, deep within the soil of the titan’s body, they were gathering forces- growing stronger and stronger.

Waiting for the right time to strike, all the while taking whatever advantage they could in this decades-long shadow war.

One such advantage, seemed to have presented itself now.

A few hours ago, something of value had been brought to the attention of the highest, the most holiest members of the Cabal, the council of faith.

Once seven, they had been reduced to five in the great betrayal. Their word was the will of their god and the law to which every member of the cabal held themselves. Within the squalor of their exile, the great church from which they governed stood out among the ramshackle and cobbled together buildings, a beautiful fortress of white stone, polished daily by the most devout of serfs.

Two images, blurry because of distance and the limitations of mere witch eyes, but still clear enough to make out two figures.

“What shall we do?” A female voice asks, clothed within black robes that bear the titan’s skeletal iconography. 

“First, we mourn.” A male voice answers, clad within the same robes as the woman

The five of them agree. Mourn for a son who had given his life for their cause, mourn for a son they would never get to bury. They had gotten news not long after of young Aleksander’s demise, of how the emperor had tossed his lifeless corpse into the chasmous abyss surrounding his bastion of heresy.

They would carve his name into the tyrant’s flesh, along with all those that had died for the truth. That, they swore.

“Very well, I shall make preparations.” The same female voice answers, excusing herself, there was much to be done after all. There would be two days of mourning, followed by a day of celebration, his name would be carved into the white rock of the church, next to the rest of his fallen brothers and sisters. He would forever more be lauded as a hero. 

“Now then, what shall we do?”

“My informants have been so kind as to share with us the identity of this, _anomalous_ creature. It is a _Human._ ”

A wave of disgust passes through those present.

“What use would the usurper have for such an insignificant pest?” One of them asks.

They would find out.

“Send out the word, have this creature brought before us. We shall see what to do then.”

\--

Luz had kept her word, after having left early in the morning. She had, in fact, returned to the castle. On time, even.

The two of them were in the council chambers again, pouring over the hundreds of pictures that the emperor had brought down from his study, trying to puzzle _something_ together out of all of this.

Well, _they_ was a strong word. Belos had simply stood aside whilst Luz devoured the paper with vigour. Drawing after drawing she recognised, and he found himself struggling to keep up with the torrent of information the young girl threw his way.

“Oh, this one’s the backyard, there’s a few rocks there now from when we wanted to plant some vegetables, they died within a month.” She points to an image of a picket fence.

Next she points out what looks like some odd rectangular contraption. “This is mom’s car, though it’s a lot less rusty than when I last saw it.”

The image after that is one of a house, to which she comments of the paint looking new, mentioning there've been a few chips in the paint and some chunks of it having been peeled off completely.

He frowns, though she cannot see it.

Thankfully he remembers something then, and opts to ask something instead of going down this increasingly depressing train of thought he currently finds himself in.

“What about your mother?”

She looks up at him then, straining her neck to gaze up at him from where he is stood next to her chair.

“I saw you pocket the drawing of your mother’s eyes- Camilia, righ?” He says, testing the name. She chuckles at that, prompting a confused “What?” out of him.

“Nothing, it’s just, you completely butchered that pronunciation.” She breaks off into a small fit of giggles, leaving Belos in suspense for a few moments, debating between confusion and feeling insulted.

Once her laughter has died down, she fishes the drawing out of her pocket, looking at it for a bit before handing it back over to him.

He looks at the pair of eyes for a bit, before turning his gaze back to the human sitting next to him.

“You have her eyes.” He mutters, without thinking the words through. She flashes him a sad smile.

“People tell me that back home all the time.” She reaches out a hand and he silently relents the drawing back to her.

“What is she like?” He asks then, surprising himself, and seemingly Luz too, with the honestly in his voice.

The sigh the girl lets out is one that carries _far_ too much baggage for one so young.

“She’s well- she’s mom, she’s always been there for me. Always been the shoulder I could cry on and the person I could count on.” There’s a pause, and it’s one thick with what feels like they’re in the eye of a storm.

“She wasn’t around much, always on shift at the hospital, always busy, juggling a kid and a job. I probably didn’t make things any easier, with my always getting in trouble and the like.” There’s a sniff, and Belos realizes in abject _horror_ that she is on the verge of breaking down.

“Y’know, I was supposed to be at camp right now, “reality check” or something. That’s what it was called, for my own good, she said. A chance to _finally_ make a few friends. She’d probably be so disappointed to find out where I actually am."

Belos says nothing, finds himself unable to get the words out. There’s a faint, yet incessant screaming in the back of his mind to do something, _anything_ to prevent the seemingly incoming waterworks.

He stills, because he doesn’t know _what_ to do.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity in limbo, he finds his words again.

“I think that’s all for today.” He holds up a hand as the girl hands him the picture back, shaking his hand.

She manages a shaky nod, gathers up her satchel and walks out of the room. Just before she leaves the room however, she flashes him a smile. It’s all teeth and it _almost_ sets his nerves at ease, but then he notices it. It’s too bright, too wide- forced and crumbling at the edges.

He has a feeling that smile encapsulates the girl in front of him a _little too well._

The pang of sadness not his own leaves him with a conclusion that makes his stomach turn.

Suddenly, all the times he’s felt the loneliness, the shame, the regret, the sadness and anger- they all fall into place, like pieces of a horrifying puzzle.

-

That night, Luz doesn’t make it as far, but she finds herself adding a good chunk to her map. She now has a rough idea as to the layout of this layer of the castle.

She takes out the picture of her mother’s eyes. Younger, and with less wrinkles than she remembers, but undoubtedly her mother’s eyes.

“I love you, mami.” She mutters, before popping the light glyphs and going to sleep.

  
  


-Day two, Sunday-

  
  


Luz hadn’t been the best student in school, never able to fully keep her attention on the material being explained. The amount of tutors she’d gone through was pretty staggering, all things considered.

At Hexside, things had shifted somewhat. Everything just seemed a bit more _logical_ to her. She found herself following along a lot more easily, even sticking her hand up to answer questions on occasion, something she’d _never_ done unless picked out in her previous school.

Today, she made both of those experiences look like she’d just been daydreaming, Belos had decided to explain to her how to do magic, and she was hanging onto his every word, taking notes at a frightening speed whilst listening to him explain exactly how it worked.

Apparently, whilst a lot more powerful than normal magic, this “true magic”, as he’d dubbed it, was infinitely harder to master. It required an iron will and a clear picture of what one wanted to happen, lest the results would be… Unpleasant, for all parties involved.

He’d described it as coaxing the magic within and around you to take shape, focussing it via a singular point and letting it do it’s thing.

She’d tried that, multiple times.

Frustration bubbled up in her. The first step was to locate the magic, to be able to discern it from the different particles in the air. That was where she’d gotten stuck, she’d done everything he told her to, breathing exercises, trying to visualize it and all that mumbo-jumbo.

_Nothing._

He did mention that expecting such a thing to come within the day was, in his own words. “Foolishly optimistic.” But Luz wasn’t planning on staying here any longer than she had to, so getting at least a basic grip on the process was preferable.

_Wait a minute…_

Luz flipped through her notes, making sure she’d read it well, and indeed. Just like she remembered.

_There was a shortcut._

Normally, one’s own body had to be used as a conduit, one of the harder steps he’d mentioned. 

_Still, she needed to be sure._

“By the way.” He turned to her, falling silent. “I’ve noticed with my glyphs, they tend to.. Change a bit depending on what I want them to do?”

He regarded her then, before inclining his head.

“Very astute. To a normal witch, a glyph is the closest they can get to our magic. They function via the same principle, a focus point, and intent.”

Luz smiled then, drawing a light glyph on the back of her left hand. Her right went up, before coming down to smack the glyph. 

Only to be stopped a few inches from its destination, by a gauntleted hand that enclosed most of her forearm.

“Hey, lemme go?” She whined, tugging at her arm.

“Are you insane?!” He said, releasing her arm- before pointing a finger and erasing the circle on the back of her hand.

“What?” She muttered, rubbing her forearm, he hadn’t been all too gentle when grabbing it.

He grabbed a piece of yellow paper from off the table, slamming it down in front of her with force that made her flinch.

“Draw a glyph.” His voice was strained, as if he was holding himself back from yelling at her. She complied, quickly sketching out the signature iconography of her light glyph.

“Now, activate it.” Luz’ eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, but she pressed down gently on the piece of paper, as per usual it began to float as the glyph lit up, crumpling in on itself and forming into that familiar ball.

Belos gently, almost delicately so, plucked the glowing orb out of the sky, bringing it down to her eye level- before squeezing it into non existence between his fingertips.

“Do you understand now?” Her tone reminded her of her old teachers, it made her feel stupid and she frowned at him before hesitantly shaking her head no.

“Where’s the paper?” He asked, and from the tone alone she knew he wasn’t expecting an answer. She looked away from him, tapping her pen against the corner of her mouth as she mulled over the words...

_Ice_ shot through her veins, and she looked back up at him with wide eyes. 

“I see you’ve figured it out?”

She had. That could have been _bad_. She gently cradled her left hand, looking at it in abject horror as her mind replayed the realization over and over again.

The glyph _consumed_ whatever it was drawn on, paper, wood.

And she’d drawn one _on her hand._

“What were you _thinking_?” He asks her again, taking a seat opposite her on the round table. This time, however, his tone is… Different. It’s still clipped and laced with anger and exasperation, but there’s something more.

A spark of curiosity.

“You said they work the same, and I- I just can’t get myself to concentrate on “finding the magic within.” I thought this would be an effective way to y’know, do magic?”

He seems to take in those words for a bit, before speaking again.

“And you were willing to just give up your hand?! On a hunch?”

“I- I hadn’t really considered that.” 

He stares at her owlishly for a bit, before cupping his head with his hands, letting out a sigh that reminds her eerily of her mother before a fierce scolding.

“That was incredibly foolish of you.”

She shrinks in on herself.

“And stupid.” 

She flinches at that.

“And showing an utter lack of self preservation.”

Another flinch.

“But-”

She looks up at him then, he’s staring at the table, as if trying to find the words.

“You might be onto something.”

She blinks.

“Huh?”

He stands up abruptly. 

“I’ll have to do some research on the matter, we’re done for today.” And with that he sweeps out of the room in a few confident strides, leaving her confused and feeling… odd.

  
  


\--

That night, there seem to be no attempts to escape. And he has a feeling it has more to do with the fact school is starting again the next day, than with the fact she might have grown to “enjoy” being in the castle.

Belos however, finds himself simultaneously frustrated, and genuinely impressed.

Using a Glyph to channel internal magic. The idea itself is absurd to his ears.

Though, not entirely baseless.

The concept behind a Glyph is simple. It consumes whatever it is drawn on to kickstart the spell, using the energy to suck in magic from the surrounding area in order to activate the spell.

Having it skip the first step, to forego the kickstarting part and instead act not unlike a wand, to channel magic from one’s body instead of being its own thing.

The concept isn’t far removed from reality. All the ingredients are there, technically, if hooked up to a magic source, there is no need for the kickstarter part, instead consuming a bit more magic in order to activate.

He almost wants to scoff, a fourteen year old girl- laden with a mere month of knowledge about the demon realm- and she completely by accident almost creates an entirely different caste of magic.

He’s not ashamed to admit, something akin to prode blossoms in his chest then.

  
  


-Day three/Monday-

  
  


School had been surprisingly fun, all things considered. Thankfully, nobody except for her three friends seemed to have noticed the escort she was accompanied by, and she went about her day with a refreshing degree of normalcy.

Boscha even avoided their little clique, though the glares the three eyed girl was sending their way every other moment made Luz pretty confident in the fact that it wouldn’t last.

But hey, small victories. 

The last class had been cancelled, and found herself with a few hours to kill before her “curfew” of sorts, so she’d asked if her friends had wanted to hang out for a bit.

Gus and Willow had declined, citing school work and a few chores they had to do. Amity, however, had all but jumped at the chance, Luz frowned a bit.

_Amity had been acting… odd, lately._

But, that was something for another time. Currently, they found themselves in the clearing that had quickly become their go-to hanging spot, accompanied, as per usual, by Gwen.

The two of them spend most of the afternoon discussing theories about the newest Azura book, Gwen simply listening along whilst using a knife to whittle away at a piece of wood, carving it into the rough shape of what looks like a panther.

Though, their current discussion has taken a turn from being an actual informed debate, and has sailed into waters familiar to all fandoms.

A discussion about shipping.

“I’m telling you Luz, it makes sense she doesn’t realize Hecate has feelings for her.” Amity argues, citing various times where Azura has acted like this when confronted with such a situation.

“I don’t know Amity, seems pretty unlikely to my eyes.” Luz mutters. “I can understand not getting a few hints, but Hecate’s been acting so strangely it’s just unrealistic that she wouldn’t notice, y’know?”

Amity looks at her like she’s certifiably insane, before smacking her forehead, whilst Gwendolyn lets out an unabashed chortle at the situation.

Amity shoots her a glare, and the older witch returns it with a smile that is _all_ teeth. Amity flushes in response and Luz is left confused as to what is happening.

“Uh, am I missing something?”

“NO!” Amity all but shouts at her, going even redder somehow, Gwen just breaks off into another bout of laughter.

\--

That night Luz sneaks out again, maneuvering past a few patrols as she makes her way down to the floor below hers. She keeps to the shadows, trying to remember every nook and cranny as she takes off down the winding hallways. 

There had been remarkably little progress with this bond of theirs today. Most of the afternoon had just been Luz pointing out pictures and what they were, though there were a few things that she _didn’t_ recognise this time around.

What looked like some sort of restaurant, a dark highway and a house she’s not familiar with. 

It’s about time for her to head back, she finds, looking at the moon as it shines through the massive windows outside, when she hears something.

Footsteps.

She’s extremely glad she’s not afraid of the dark, she finds. As she hides behind a statue once the sound of someone approaching reaches her ears.

A quick glance, and her heart skips a beat. It’s not a patrol, but Kikimora that rounds the corner, walking through the hall with a relaxed stride.

Thankfully, the red demoness does not seem to notice her, and Luz lets out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

Only for the statue she’d been hiding behind to suddenly levitate, leaving her exposed.

With a sigh, she steps out into the hallway, meeting Kikimora’s gaze as the emperor’s aide places the statue back in its original position.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll head back to my room.” She sighs and turns away, but Kikimora’s voice stops her.

“What does the Emperor want with you?” 

She turns back around.

“Huh?”

_Does she not know?_

Even in the dark hallway, she can see the small demon’s eyes roll.

“Come on girl, I know you understand me, what does he want with you.”

Luz’ eyes widen.

_She doesn’t know_. Luz realizes, and for a moment she wonders why. 

“Ask him yourself.” She answers, and leaves the demon standing in the hallway as she makes her way back to her room.

Once there, she begins sketching furiously again, though this time she notices something, there’s something familiar about the hallway Kikimora had come from. Luz frowns as she tries to recall what exactly it is.

_Definitely something to look out for tomorrow._ She thinks after completing the sketch.

  
  


-Day four/Tuesday-

  
  


“I understand you came across Kikimora yesterday evening?”  
  
“Yeah, why?”

School had been boring today, it had finished a few hours prior. Meaning she was currently back in the council chambers with Belos, working on magic once more.

“I understand she asked you a question?” 

“Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you answer?”

Luz shrugs. “I mean, you didn’t tell her, and the two of you seem pretty close- well, closer than with Lilith and the guards. Figured you didn’t want to tell her, so I kept my mouth shut.”

He hums in agreement. “Fair enough. I trust Kikimora, completely and utterly, but there’s an issue with her…”

“She believes your hype a bit too much?” Luz deadpans.

“I beg your pardon?”

Luz curses herself mentally. 

_Damn human lingo._

“She all but worships you, with all the “magnificent emperor” talk and all.” She clarifies, and he lets out a sigh at that.

“You are right about that, her behaviour would shift if she knew the truth, a shift that would no doubt draw the attention of those that pay attention”

_Those that would relay that information to_ **_them._ ** He’d wanted to pretend like it wouldn’t be an issue, but Saturday had quashed that hope. He might have disposed of that particular spy, but there were undoubtedly more of them, likely some among his own ranks.

Never mind the fact he didn’t know if the spy had gotten a message off before Belos had confronted him.

“I will tell her, in time.” He says, and he means it. “But that is something for another day.”

He waves his hand, and a few documents deposit themselves unceremoniously atop the white table, the dull thud they make echoing through the room.

“I’ve done some research about your idea.” She perks up at the mention.

“I think you might be onto something.” The smile that lights up her face then is all but blinding, and he manages a small- unseen smirk in return.

They spend the next few hours discussing the idea, bringing up hypothesis after hypothesis and Belos notices something.

The way she just picks up on unsaid facts, the sheer adaptability she shows, it’s down right prodigious, and that’s part of what draws his attention, the other thing.

Her eyes.

There’s a hunger in those brown eyes, a lust for knowledge, to learn more- to understand the unintelligible. It's a hunger he understands all too well, one that has plagued him since his earliest memories

For the first time since finding out that she’s related to him, by blood no less, he recognises something of himself in her.

\--

_Well, she’d been correct._

The hallway Kikimora had come from the other day _was_ one she recognised. It led to a part of the castle where the tour had taken place.

She now had a complete route to take, but she knew that it would be useless to go now. There were undoubtedly guards in the woods, and the moment she activated the gate, they would all come rushing.

“Just two more days, Eda.” She mutters to herself, having snuck back to her room.

“Until?”

Belos materializes out of the shadow, as if a phantom summoned by her words, she looks at him with suspicion.

“What do you mean?”  
  
He ignores her, taking a few strides to her left, to a gaudy painting hung on the wall.

“I take it you’ll be trying to escape in two days’ time? Coinciding all too coincidentally with the wailing star, what lucky timing.”

“Why does it matter to you, you told me yourself you agreed to the terms, if I beat you, or if I escape the castle, I get to go back to the owl house.”

He reaches out a hand, tipping the painting slightly, probably to right it back to being level. “I don’t understand why.” He turns to her, head cocked as if expecting an answer.

“Huh?”

Both his hands emerge from his cloak, gesturing at the rooms around them. 

“Look at all this, you’re in the mightiest fortress in the isles, you want for nothing, you are learning magic of a potency the owl lady couldn’t even dream to teach you, and you’re puzzling together a mystery even _I_ couldn’t solve on my own. Why would you try to escape?”

“Why not?”

That stumps him somewhat.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m under what is essentially a curfew, I was _forced_ to come here by _you_ , this is essentially the world’s comfiest prison.’

“I did not know prisons in the human world just let prisoners leave when they escape?” The joke is almost said genuinely, but there’s an undertone of superiority to it that makes it clear he’s talking down to her.

“Why do you even _care?_ ”

He reels back, as if she’d slapped him.

“I mean, I’m just some _“curiosity”_ to you, aren’t I? Some freak that wasn’t supposed to exist and that you’re just taking an interest in because it suits you?” The way she says it- cold, distant- it drives a shard of an emotion he’s not sure he understands into his heart.

Sure, the mere existence of the girl standing opposite of him was something that by all rights shouldn’t be possible, and he does have to give it to her that it was originally just a passing interest in her and a focus more on this strange bond of theirs.

Somewhere during the week, that priority hadn’t so much shifted, as it had _evened out_. The bond was a mystery he was dead set on unravelling, but seeing the girl come into her own right under his tutelage-

It was breathtaking.

Belos is _old_ , well past the normal lifespan of a witch, though he still falls well within the elongated lifespan his blood has all enjoyed. 

He finds himself wondering if all those years are truly years spent well, because he cannot say a word, does not know what to say to the headstrong girl in front of him that will convey the differing emotions budding within him.

There’s pride, annoyance, sadness, a sense of accomplishment and many, _many_ others.

And yet he cannot express them, because he feels they wouldn’t be sincere.

She regards his stony appearance with a dangerous look in her eyes.

“That’s what I thought.” She mutters, and, in perhaps the single most teenage thing she’s done since coming here, slams the door shut in his face, leaving him staring at the wooden door.

  
  


-Day five/Wednesday

  
  


“From leader of the emperor’s coven, to a glorified errand girl.” Grumbles the raven haired witch as she steps off of her ivory staff at the edge of Bonesborough.

Eda had come home on Friday, mentioning that her plan hadn’t worked and feeling generally bummed out.

After finding out that Eda’s “master plan” had literally just been to walk up to the girl behind school and essentially steal her back, she’d facepalmed, letting out a sigh that was equal parts expected disappointment, and sheer undiluted exasperation.

When Lilith had suggested another approach, because Eda _was_ right, the hu- Luz had been under no obligation to save her, the younger of the two sisters had stopped her, telling her that t- Luz had a plan.

Lilith had expressed her doubts, not as much out of lack of faith in the girl’s abilities, but more from a pragmatic point of view.

The castle was a bastion in every sense of the word, only one way out, through a legion of the best guards on the isles if you didn’t want to fly over the chasm, which would bring with it another host of dangers.

Eda had waved her off, saying that she needed to “have more faith” and strangely thereafter to “get a job”

Lilith had, at that point come to the horrifying realization, that she was in fact jobless.

Their parents were probably rolling in their graves. Eda probably came to that same conclusion at around the same time she did, because she had started _laughing._

So, for the past few days, she’d been trying to get a job, all the while being run ragged by Eda and her constant “requests.” She _knew_ Eda was doing it to spite her, all under the guise of “You cursed me Lily, now you can make up for cursing me.” 

So, currently she was on an Apple blood run. The sheer quantity that her younger sister consumed daily still left Lilith gobsmacked.

“Well, I guess this is it?” She mutters, standing in front of the small shop.

“Gary’s apple blood boutique” the original sign reads, though there’s a few ramshackle modifications that have turned the sign to “Gwen’s apple blood boutique.”

As she steps inside, the first thing that she notices is a familiar smell that hits her nose, followed by the fact she is being _watched._

Two yellow eyes stare at her with eerie intensity from atop the counter. Belonging to some sort of, cat? The thing isn’t any bigger than a kitten, so it must be exceptionally young.

The way it looks at her, however. Makes her feel like she’s being watched by an apex predator.

The feline moves, and her eyes widen.

She _was_ being watched by an apex predator.

More specifically, a jet black panther.

The size of a kitten.

It stalks up to her, and she crouches down onto her haunches, slowly reaching out a hand to let the pint-sized panther sniff at her hands.

It’s stockier built than any leopard she’s seen before, a deeper muzzle and eyes wizened that bely its diminutive stature.

It’s absolutely gorgeous, beautiful iridescent patterning runs across its flanks. She notices spots within the splotches littering its sides. _A jaguar, not a leopard_ she realizes, it nuzzles into her hand with grace and tenderness that make her wonder if she’s not merely seeing things.

And then it opens its mouth.

and lets out an unabashed _roar_.

With a shriek that is in no way, shape, or form dignified, she falls over, landing smack dab on her butt.

When her eyes flutter open again, trying to process what just happened, a hand enters her vision.

She follows the hand, up to the person extending it, and looks straight into the _bluest_ pair of eyes she has ever seen, set in a skin of ivory and framed by the night sky itself.

Her mouth goes dry and she realizes that she’s staring.

“Well, are you gonna take my hand or what?” The woman asks, and her cheeks flush before she takes the hand.

The woman is tall, she notices. Taller than her by a couple of inches even with her having the benefit of heels, and the amused expression on her face has Lilith forget her words again.

“Did Shadow scare you?” The woman says, in a voice thick with amusement.

“Shadow?” She asks.

Suddenly, within the _mane_ of pure inky blackness that is the other woman’s hair, two familiar yellow eyes open up. She gently reaches over, picking the tiny cat off of her shoulder and holding it within the palm of her hands.

“Shadow.” She clarifies, holding up the cat to Lilith’s eye level.

She lets out a little snort at that, looking between the cat and it’s owner.

“Shadow, for a black cat?”

The woman chuckles in reply, offering a shrug.

“What can I say, I’m not the most creative.” She holds out her hand then. “Name’s Gwendolyn, but call me Gwen.”  
  
Lilith accepts the hand.

“Lilith Clawthorne.”

\--

She hadn’t joined Belos today for training, and quite frankly she didn’t care. She was still too pissed from the previous night’s events.

So, she’d decided to increase her productivity, drawing Glyph after Glyph on an ever diminishing stack of paper, along with a few other things she’d saved. Just in case, the day after tomorrow was going to be the day she was finally free.

  
  


-Day six/Thursday-

  
  


The following day, she makes it her mission to avoid Belos once again.

It works, for most of the day.

She comes back when the sun is about to disappear back across the horizon, and the first throes of nightfall begin to darken the isles like a blanket.

  
She avoids the guards, navigates her way up the winding stairways and into the hallway that houses her room.

He’s standing there, waiting for her.

_Crap_.

She realizes there’s no way she can avoid him now, so she just stands there for a bit, looking at him.

“I noticed you weren’t there today.”

“Yup.”

“You also failed to show up yesterday.”

“That’s right.”

There’s a pause, followed by a sigh as he turns around.

“I assume we shall meet again tomorrow night?”

“I’m counting on it.” 

  
  


day seven/Friday.

  
  


Luz has waited a full week for this.

She’s done her research, prepared her weapons, and she’s ready to make this a reality.

She stands in front of her mirror, fastening the cape Eda had given her as a gift. She straps the satchel around her neck, filled to the brim with glyphs and various other things.

Tonight was going to be one hell of a show.

Sneaking out of her room was easy, the guard rotations were pretty easy for her to understand after a full week of tracking them.

The first three hallways are easy enough. She leaves a few papers with different drawings on the floor. Out of the way of any feet, but still within the rays of light that pour through the windows. The stairs are harder, she spends a good ten minutes huddled up in a stone outcropping as she counts down the seconds till the patrol is supposed to arrive.

Right on time, the sound of synchronized footsteps echoes up the stairwell, and five guards pass her, totally unaware of the person hidden not ten feet away from them.

The moment they pass the corner, she bolts down the stairs, taking the stone steps three at a time. 

She winds down two more hallways, leaving another dozen drawings laid on the floor. Hides from two more patrols, and manages to sneak past Kikimora. This time she’s careful not to make a singular sound as the small demoness walks past her.

The end is in sight, she realizes as she turns another corner. Into a hallway unlike the others.

It’s massive, flanked on one side by five gigantic windows that allow light to absolutely _pour_ into the hallway.

She walks forward carefully, before stopping as she spots a shadow within the arch, leaning against the heavy oak.

There’s a figure standing in front of the door.

“I see you’ve finally arrived.” Belos’ voice thunders throughout the hallway, and she allows herself to let out a small smirk.

_Time to set her plan in motion._

_Lose._

She gives no verbal reply, instead activating a few ice glyphs that shoot out in jagged formation towards him, he liquifies before they can hit, burying themselves in the stone archway.

_Where has he gone?_

“Well then, let’s play.” Her eyes widen, he’s behind he-

Her train of thought cuts itself short immediately, as she’s lifted up and tossed down the hallway, the impact knocks the breath out of her and she grits her teeth at the carpet burn her legs accumulate as she skids a few more feet down the hallway.

She grabs a few more glyphs, this time two plants and one fire, to her surprise the plants hit, entangling the masked man in a thorny prison, the fire spell hits its mark too, setting the thorns alight.

He merely snaps his fingers, and they simply cease to exist.

Her next gambit is a risky one, she grabs something, a massive light glyph she’d drawn onto four pieces of taped together paper.

The resulting beam of light is not all that dissimilar to a flashbang, only without the “bang.” Even as she screws her eyes shut and pulls the hood of her cape tight over her eyes, she feels the light burn into her retina’s.

When the light subsides, she blinks, hard and fast, trying to remove the spots from her vision as fast as possible.

Belos doesn’t seem to be doing too well, his hand is underneath his mask, no doubt to try and rub some vision back into his eyes.

She knows this isn’t going to be enough to stop him, certainly not enough to try and make an escape.

But she doesn’t need to.

She only needs to buy time.

She sends another wave of ice his way, this time his Staff appears from within his cloak, sending forth a ray of red energy that shatters the ice into nothing but uneven cubes.

Out of the corner of her eye, Luz notices a faint green sheen begin to appear.

_Just a little longer._

A dozen more fire spells are thrown his way, this time he responds in kind, firing a blast that knocks her onto her knees.

She stays down, breathing hard, trying to give the impression of a beaten foe as her hand snakes into her satchel, pulling forth a very particular piece of paper.

“Had enough?” He asks, and Luz smirks, turning to look up at him.

The star passes by, bathing the castle in an azure light.

The castle erupts with screams, the images she’d planted earlier having the hoped for effect, manifesting into the beings she’d drawn onto them.

Slither Beasts, Basilisks and those weird apple creatures.

His focus on her falters for a second, and she quickly unfolds the crumpled up picture, slamming it down into the light.

When he looks down, he finds Luz smirking up at him, and a small piece of paper absolutely _bathing_ in the light of the wailing star.

A picture, containing the visage of Grometheus the fearbringer.

“I win.”

He can’t react fast enough, as an inky black tentacle _erupts_ from the paper, slamming into him. 

He goes limp, and he can feel the invasive demon sift through every fear he has, before picking out a particular one.

He tries to keep his eyes shut, but finds himself unable to.

And gazes straight into a scene that has his heart skip a beat, and a shard of ice embed itself into his soul.

Luz was in the process of sneaking past the faux-grom, when it suddenly lost any sense of form, no doubt in the process of shifting itself.

Curiosity got the better of her, and Luz stared from a distance as the shape finally settled.

_The Boiling Isles?_

She frowns, she’s pretty sure she’s looking at the isles. _Is_ _he scared of heights or something?_ She wonders for a second.

Then, something begins to happen, and it makes Luz’ stomach turn.

Veins are crawling up the gigantic limbs, like fleshy serpents clambering up a tree, ligaments and muscles follow, stretching themselves taut across the gargantuan limbs.

Then, the screams start, and Luz falls to her knees. It feels like she’s listening to the death cries of everyone on the isles, falling into a sickening chorus that has her shaking like a leaf.

_It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real._ She tells herself, like a mantra, but she can’t say it’s working.

Organs suddenly burst through the ground, sending Bonesborough plummeting into the boiling seas, the steadily increasing thrumming of a massive heart pounds against her ear drums as she sees the castle they’re currently in crumble into the abyss it resides above.

Finally, skin coils itself around the gigantic form, eyes inflate within empty sockets, and- contrasted against the ashen skin of the titan, the yellow within them glows with a malignancy that makes her feel like she’s looking into the eyes of the devil himself.

_She can’t bear this anymore._

With a quick hand, she snatches the paper from within the mass, shredding it into a thousand pieces which she stuffs back into her satchel.

The screaming in the castle has died down, no doubt the coven members have destroyed her creatures.

_Run! Flee! Get away from here!_ Her mind _screams_ at her.

She doesn’t, she’s too focussed on the hunched over form before her.

Belos is, well it looks like he’s having a panic attack, his chest heaves unevenly with gasps of air being dragged into his lungs by sheer force.

She notices something then, a wet droplet slowly sliding out from behind his mask, before dripping down onto the floor, where a small wet patch in the carpet has formed.

She finds herself unable to leave him here.

So, she walks up, cringing when he flinches away as she crouches down onto her haunches next to him.

_He can’t stay here._ She thinks, looking around. What if someone were to see him like this?

“Let’s go to my room.” She says, and he manages a shaky nod, snapping his fingers.

The world tumbles around them, Luz feels a tiny hint of pride as she doesn’t even feel nauseous, but that is quickly quashed when she looks back at Belos.

He’s grabbed the side of her bed, using it to drag himself upward, he flops down unceremoniously on her comforter, burying his head in his hands as his breathing slowly calms down.

She takes a seat opposite of him, on the small wooden desk chair.

Minutes pass, and neither says a word, until Belos finally breaks the silence, speaking in a voice that is raw with grief and horrow.

“How much do you see?”  
  
She gulps.

“Everything.”  
  
He lets out a shaky breath, before clasping a hand over the front of his mask. To her surprise, he takes it off, and when he looks at her again, she’s looking into the same face she saw all those weeks ago.

Crooked nose, scarred face, full beard and thick black hair, offset by pale skin, and those unnerving black eyes offset by a pair of shining blue irises.

“You asked me, why I was lying when I mentioned all that about the titan and his plans. Remember?”

Luz nods, she _does_ remember, and when he next speaks, she senses no lie.

His lips shake, and when he speaks it’s clear he’s forcing himself to say it, struggling to articulate every syllable.

“I’m not a messenger or a prophet. I’m trying to stop it.”

“Who?”

He looks at her.

“The titan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess you all didn't expect that, huh?
> 
> As per usual, theories, speculation and incoherent screaming are welcomed, I ADORE reading what you guys think, and seeing if some of you guys can get close to the actual plot.
> 
> Also, would you guys want me to make a Tumblr? Just wondering.


	10. On the back of so many regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here it is, the longest chapter, and the first part of this AU I had actually thought up. Putting this into words has been one of the most fun things I've done, and this is genuinely my favourite chapter of- well of anything I've ever written.
> 
> As per usual, I'd like to shoutout [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) for the awesome editing job she did. 
> 
> In a surprising twist, I also want to shoutout [Gojiratheking106](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gojiratheking106/pseuds/Gojiratheking106) For his help with the small bit of spanish in the chapter.

Only two words, and yet they had the impact of a bomb being dropped.

“What.” Was all that Luz could muster up as a response as the words washed over her.

_That couldn’t be true, could it?_ There was no way something like that would be right. From what Luz could gather, Belos was the _reason_ people on the isles worshipped the titan. His ability to talk to it had been hushed in reverent tones like it was a divine act. 

“What do you mean?”

He lets out another sigh, before focusing his gaze on her again. If she’d thought looking into a pair of black holes was eerie, looking into his eyes was even worse. The look of sheer haunted tiredness made her feel genuinely bad.

“What do you know, of the savage ages?” 

Luz frowns, recalling what she’d learned at school. 

The savage ages, from what she could remember- were a time of bloodshed, when warlords and the like held sovereignty over the isles. The death toll had apparently been high enough that nobody had really complained when Belos rose to power.

“You mean, about how you crusaded across the isles, how you united them under your own banner?”

“That is the version of history told throughout the isles, yes.”

“But not the truth?”

He inclined his head. “Indeed, one of the benefits of having supreme power, is that history itself can be twisted to suit your narrative.”

The way he’d said that, with just a _hint_ of glee, made her skin crawl. Nevertheless, she felt there was something more to all this, something that made her more eager to find out just what the truth was.

“There were seven of us.” He said. “Myself, the figurehead and leader, flanked by three brothers and three sisters. We led a crusade across the isles, we called ourselves the cabal of the Titan. We preached the “truth” as we slowly but surely conquered the isles and added city after city to our domain.”

The breath he lets out is shaky, and she about feels the temperature in the room drop, a chill setting in as the haunted look in his eyes intensified. “I was their salvation, they preached. The titan having spoken to me once, relaying to me his will.” He screws his eyes shut. “I still hear that voice sometimes, in my nightmares.”  
  
“I was a stupid, ignorant fool.” He says, a venomous tone to his voice. “I believed every word, every honeyed lie and twisted truth. I began to assemble an army, preaching the faith of the titan and denying all others who didn’t side with me. They were with me, a “council of faith.” My closest friends, my most trusted advisors. We converted dozens, then hundreds, and on it went, until two hundred thousand witches and demons were praying to the titan daily, then it began. The crusade, those who would listen, who would forsake their “false idols” and joined us were partial to safety and comfort that in those days was a pipe dream to even the governors of entire cities”

“Those who didn’t-” He cuts himself off then, drawing in a shaky breath before continuing.

  
“So many atrocities, based on a lie.” The confession hangs heavy in the air, as she sees two wet tracks make their way down his cheeks, disappearing into his beard.

His gauntlets curl into fists, gripping the comforter with an intensity that makes Luz wonder when it’s going to give in, but she doesn’t comment, waiting with rapt attention for him to continue.

“Fifty years ago, we won. Bonesborough was the last bastion of resistance, and we crushed it with barely any losses to our numbers. That night, the celebrations were unparalleled. We drank rivers of strong spirits, ate enough to make our bellies ache. We laughed, we cried, we danced deep into the night. We’d finally done it.” A sad smile paints his features.

“That night, I was to make the ultimate show of faith. A gesture so grand it would mark my ascension to emperor as something that would be talked about forever.”

From the depths of his cloak, he pulls forth his staff, looking at the ramshackle design with regret clearly strewn across his face.

“Do you know what a palisman _is?_ ”

Luz recalls what Eda had told her. “An animal companion, a friend? Something you get for graduating school?”

He nods. “Yes, but they are more than just that. The process to create one is long, arduous. And above all, dangerous.”

He meets her gaze, laying a hand on the orb atop his staff. “A Palisman, contains more than just magic, it contains a piece of your _soul._ ”

“That night, at the apex of the festivities, a great fire was lit. A fire, burning _black._ A magical flame of sacrifice, a way to present offerings to the titan. There was _one_ sacrifice valued above all. People throwing themselves into the flames wasn’t uncommon, oftentimes accompanied by their loved ones, a way to “ask the titan’s blessings” Livestock, lumber, jewels, everything got thrown into those flames.” 

He takes off his gauntlets, revealing hands riddled with scars, pale and malformed due to a lifetime of battle. With a gentleness she has _never_ seen before, he picks up his mask. Holding it between his hands as one would a kitten or a newborn baby.

“A sacrifice of the soul, one that was supposed to have you judged by the titan himself. Normally one only made by the most fanatical of believers. None had survived prior to me, but “ _I was worthy. I would survive and rise as an Emperor.”_ They told me.”

He hands the mask to her then, and she gazes at the immaculately designed gold.

“It’s not solid gold, merely cast over what I could recover.”

Her eyes widen, instantly connecting the dots.

“Your palisman…”  
  
He hums in agreement, not meeting her gaze as he starts his story anew.

“A great stag beetle, the size of my forearm.” He holds out the appendage for a bit. “Onyx, he was called. He had saved my life on so many occasions, a blur of flapping wings and crushing pincers, a companion and… a friend.”

His fist shoots out, meeting the headboard of her bed, it’s as if the massive wood wasn’t there, his fist goes through it as easily as if he was snapping a toothpick.

He chuckles, then. An ugly sound rich with anguish and regret and spite towards the world. “It’s all wonderfully ironic I suppose, a hundred times over he saved my life, and I snapped his staff and cast him into the fire as if he were nothing.”  
  


His shoulders begin shaking once more, and the ugly laughter returns.

“And, and in the face of that, that _betrayal_ , he ends up saving my life once again.” The laugh devolves into choked off wheezes, followed by a few coughs. When he meets her, at this point horrified gaze again. Any sense of humour has left him.

“They were right. I _did_ survive. And I _saw_ the truth. For the first time since I had begun my conquest, I saw the truth. And it. _Horrified_. Me.”

He gestures outside the room.

“This titan, this- _creature_ we are on, is not alone. _Was_ not alone.”

“I recall reading that, bones in the boiling seas right? About how they might indicate more, right?”

He nods. “A hundred.”

Where Luz had been wondering if the temperature in the room had dropped, there is no mistaking the _chill_ that runs through her _soul_ at that. The sight of the titan, restored to its unholy glory had been enough to almost make her wet herself, and there were _ninety-nine more?!_

He picks up on her horrified look, and nods along. “It’s a scary thought. I’ve done much, _much_ digging over the decades. And I seem to have puzzled together what exactly had happened.”

She listens with rapt attention.

“Aeons ago, long before my ancestors were born and millenia before your own existence, there was a legion, a force of pure malice and hatred, travelling from world to world, from galaxy to galaxy, destroying all they came across. Their power extinguished stars and destroyed civilisations as if plucking cherries from a tree. A force of such potency that they stood on the precipice of the total annihilation of- of _everything.”_

The tip of his finger extends, glowing red, and Luz looks at what she assumes is the world they are currently in.

“Until they came _here._ I don’t know how or why, but the world they found themselves in was a trap. Designed to end their rampage once and for all, they stormed in, maddened by the premise of getting to rampage, to destroy more, only to be met with boiling seas and no way out, their portal sealed off behind them.”

The scene projected from his finger shifts to that of a closing portal, squinting her eyes she sees grayish figures from within the ever closing gate.

“The boiling seas were much hotter then, hot enough to ignore their armour completely, leaving them defenseless, spending their last moments screaming in agony as their meat boiled off of their bones. One by one they fell, all across the world. A hundred destroyers, reduced to a hundred corpses.”

“So, they died?” Luz asks.

“No, it’s not so easy to kill beings as powerful as this, it seems. Their magic prevented their death, not enough to keep their limbs and skin from cooking off into a primordial soup, but enough to keep their hearts beating and their minds intact.”

The girl was _horrified_ , all that and it couldn’t even kill them permanently?

“I- if that couldn’t kill them, _what can?”_

“Us.”

Luz blinked.

“The titans used their magic to hold themselves together, so _something_ made a counter. Something designed to use the magic, to siphon it away from them until they couldn’t keep up anymore and finally passed away.”

“Witches.” Luz mutters. “But what could have done that, some sort of god?”

Belos lets out a spiteful chuckle. “The thought has crossed my mind, yes. It would make sense if it was a god, it worked- it worked _perfectly_. The populations of witches, demons and the like grew, slowly depriving the titans of more and more magic until they died, falling apart, their carcasses littering the boiling seas.” 

Luz nods, that makes sense- and then it hits her, like a freight train of realization the horror washes over her.

“What about the people?”  
  
“Like I said, a **_god’s_ ** plan.” He spits the word as if it were poison. “Monstrous, yet effective.”

“How many titans are left?”

“Just the one, their leader. One by one, ninety-nine of his underlings fell. Yet he held on. Biding his time.”

“For what?”

“For the others to die.” At her confused expression, he elaborates. “Every titan has their magic, but when they die- Where does that magic go?”

  
“I’d assume they just release it?”

“Yes, and release it they did. One by one, ninety-nine titans released their magic into the atmosphere, into the air. Magic ripe for the titan to use for his plan.”

_And what a plan it was._ Even Belos cannot deny its brilliance, he’s fortunate to have caught on when he did. The piece of his soul held within Onyx- the titan had planned to consume it. But it had fought back, slipping from the titan’s clutches and giving him instead a glimpse into what exactly the creature was planning, a fighting chance.

He’d paid a part of his soul for it, it disappearing into the aether. But it would allow him to save them all.

She pressed him for more, and he explained.

The air around them was _thick_ with magic, but it was magic that for some reason the titan _couldn’t_ absorb.

It had another effect, however. With every generation, witches grew more and more powerful, and with their power came the titan’s key to salvation.

It was simple, really. When calculating how many pieces of wood it would take to boil a hundred liters of water, one could take the simple route. Find out how many pieces it takes for a litre, and multiply accordingly.

In practice however, it didn’t work like that, wind, temperature, humidity and a myriad of other factors would work adversely, meaning you needed more.

An _excess._

Wild magic worked the same, when using multiple types of magic, there would always be an excess, a product that was used by neither spell yet put out all the same, an excess.

But instead of light or heat or something of the sort, it was magic.

Magic the titan _could_ absorb.

One person, or a hundred or even ten thousand people wouldn’t be that big of an issue.

But _millions?_

_That_ was why he had set up the covens, to buy himself time. They had been on a collision course to oblivion, what would have taken a few decades, he had pushed back by millenia.

Time he desperately needed to figure out a plan, and a plan he finally had.

But that was something he’d keep for himself, for the time being.

“When I came to again, I cried. My brothers and sisters thought it was because I had been enlightened. They were wrong.”

He had cried, for generations of blood on his hand, in the service of oblivion. Consigning all those people to death for a false cause. He might have never lost sleep over those atrocities, but that was because he would not allow himself to be haunted by his actions. He didn’t deserve the regret and horror, because a step beyond that laid a path that would see him making peace with the bloodshed.

And he refused to do that. Instead he carried it like a leaden cloak, always there, a constant reminder for him to push on despite everything. The mask had the same principle, in a more _literal_ sense.

“The next morning, I dug through the ashes, I found the remains of my dear friend, and I had a mask fashioned around them, a permanent reminder.”

_A reminder of all his sins._ He doesn’t say it aloud, letting silence wash over the two of them. 

He does not tell her about him summoning the council, about him telling them what he’d seen, begging, _pleading_ with them to help him. He doesn’t tell of their suddenly scornful gazes and biting words, how words like “heretic” and “traitor” passed over their lips with such conviction when the night before it had been “brother”. About how they had threatened to have him petrified, how they had told him they would muster up their legions and crush him.

He does not tell her of a blade being drawn, and one of his sisters leaping for his throat, nor does he tell her of the magical bolt that slams into her, from his hands no less. About how it burns through her armour, how it melts through her skin and burrows through her ribcage and cooks her from the inside out. 

He does not tell her of a decree he made in the wake of that attack, branding them traitors and ordering their execution, about how he hounded them and the forces loyal to them like they were rabid mutts.

He allows himself a small measure of satisfaction at that. If she hadn’t leapt for his throat, they could have done it. They could have captured and killed him. Her rashness is the crux for his entire empire’s existence.

So, he just sits there, staring at the ground, not meeting the eyes of the girl sat before him. He’s waiting on her to break the silence. Equal parts curious and filled with trepidation at the response she will give.

“So, is there anything we can do to help?”

His head snaps up, eyes wide as he looks at her. Her hands are shaking- her whole _body_ is shaking. And yet her face conveys no signs of hesitation of lies.

_Brave, especially for one so young._

Yet, he must disappoint her.

  
“A noble offer, but there is nothing you can do. I’d also advise you against telling this to anyone, and I do mean _anyone._ ” 

She nods.

“Who know?”

“Myself, Kikimora, and the shade. Now you too, I suppose.” 

“Alright, I won’t tell anyone.” She holds out a hand, and he looks at her questioningly. “Shake on it?”

He chuckles at the gesture, but supposes he can oblige her this once.

So, he stretches out his hand too, his massive, un-gauntleted hand wrapping almost entirely around her own hand.

And finds himself, once again, in a familiar darkness.

The two of them look around in confusion, and anger bubbles up in him.

He is _beyond_ done with the cryptic messages, with the deluded hints and the feeling that he is being played with. 

“WHAT DO YOU WANT!” He roars at the black skies, a snarl on his lips as his eyes dart around with a fervour that is almost manic.

In his fury, he almost misses the prodding of a finger in his back, and when he swirls around, he finds Luz staring up at him, flinching back at the look on his face.

“What is it?” He says, after taking a few deep breaths, trying to force his tone back into a somewhat acceptable volume.

“Last time this happened, you touched me. Remember?” He blinks, recalling when his hand had brushed along her cheek as he’d yanked down her hood, he nods. And the girl’s expression becomes pensive, brow furrowing as her hand comes up to reach her chin.

Then, almost as quickly, it shifts into a wide-eyed look that just screams _EUREKA!_

“Ok so, two times it’s happened now, both times it’s cause we touched in the well-” She gestures at the void around them

“Not this.” Her hands reached up again, mimicking the gesture she’d offered him in the girl’s room. 

“What are you doing?” He says, looking at her questioningly.

She sighs comically, shoulders going slack before smacking her forehead. “Every time this has happened, it’s because we touched in the real world. So-” She reaches out her hand again. “I think this is what’s supposed to happen.”

He thinks about it for a bit, before smacking himself upside the head. She’d pretty much hit the nail on the head, and he’s embarrassed he’s not put the hints together before now.

So, he reaches out his own hand. Stopping just before it touches hers, and asks.

“Are you ready?”

She nods, and grabs his hand.

With the benefit of hindsight, he supposes he should’ve asked himself that question.

A small light appears then, shining through Luz’ clothes, and he can _feel_ a familiar sensation that he cannot place.

Slowly, it drifts towards him, out of the girl’s chest and into the space between them, eliciting an awed whisper of “wow” from Luz, and a frown from him.

His other hand comes up then, and the light nestles in his palm, before sinking into it.

And suddenly, everything makes sense.

That small light was familiar, because it was _his._

He has just enough time to utter a singular word. “Onyx.” Before another thing becomes clear.

Those flashes of memories, that he oh so confidently had stated weren’t his own?

They _were_. And as he feels his soul become whole for the first time in fifty years, he feels his memories return.

And by “return.”, he means that they slam into his mind with the force of an avalanche.

He lets go of the young girl, grasping his head between his hands as he lets out a scream, a _roar_ of anguish that is nothing short of _ursine_ as his legs give out and he collapses to the floor, the last thing his eyes pick up is Luz’ shocked and worried gaze meeting his own, before she disappears.

And then, the darkness sets in.

\--

\--Bonesborough, 50 years ago--

_Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it burned in one._

A saying he recalls reading, in an old human book contained within a trash slug. He’d wondered what it meant originally, before learning Rome had been a city. He’d brought it up to his brothers and sisters and they’d shared a laugh, mocking the idiocy of humans.

Now he understood what it meant.

What had been their greatest victory, something they had fought towards for years, had turned into an utter disaster.

He’d twisted the truth somewhat, leading the common populace to believe he’d been betrayed by his six most loyal confidants and their followers, that one of the traitors had died and the others had fled, taking their meager forces with them, Kikimora- one of the emperor’s closest and most trusted generals herself- harrying them and hunting them down like dogs.

In the wake of all this, tensions and emotions were running quite high indeed.

And yet, Belos himself felt empty. Sat within his own private tent, he looks at the newly fashioned golden mask in his hands, cast over what he’d been able to recover from a friend he had tossed away so recklessly.

He seemed to do that a lot, toss away lives and people like they were expendable. Until a mere two days ago, they _had_ been expendable.

_How quickly things change._ He thinks bitterly, setting the mask on his bedside table. He takes a look in the mirror and frowns.

His skin has turned from its natural, somewhat pale complexion to an ashy white. The whites of his eyes have disappeared, leaving behind only darkness. A perfect visage of a walking those, he supposes. A man whose soul has been ripped asunder by his own volition and who has to live with it.

_Not if I have anything to say about it._

He can't bear the sight of himself a moment longer, forcing his gaze away from his reflection as he exits his tent. The two guards stationed there salute him, but he dismisses them, telling them not to follow him as he takes a stroll.

A trillion stars illuminate the sky as he walks throughout the camp, many people not recognising him in his plainclothes, a simple pair of black trousers and a white tunic. Those that did say nothing, pretending to not see the thunderous expression on the giant man’s face as he wandered around the camp.

Slowly but surely, he wandered further and further away from the center of the camp, eventually he found himself a few miles away from camp, deep within the woods around Bonesborough.

_Nobody would hear him here_.

He finds a clearing, and simply stands there for a bit, taking in the many sounds of the forest as he contemplates his next move.

His hand comes to rest upon a dagger strapped at his side. He clutches it, drawing the first few inches out of its sheath.

_Cursed steel and manticore venom. A single slice and it’s over_. He thinks about it for a few moments before sliding it back fully into the sheath.

_Too easy._

He unclips the sheath from his belt, holding it between his hands for a few moments. It had been a gift, one that signified him being a brother to them all.

He throws it into the woods, far enough that he can’t hear it clatter to the ground.

Staying here isn’t an option within his mind. The moment the truth comes out he’ll be strung up by his entrails because of all he did. He doesn’t blame them if they do, he’d done worse for an unjust cause.

Staying here isn’t an option, and killing himself is not something he considers, if only out of sheer spite towards himself. There seems to be only one more option.

Flee.

Not anywhere on the isles, or even the planet- somewhere _else_. 

He takes a deep breath, before reaching out with both his hands, held out in front of him with their fingers spread, and begins reciting the spell in an ancient language. The syllables feel foreign on his tongue and he curses himself for not having kept one of the gate keys for himself instead of insisting to destroy them all, it would have been much easier.

Thankfully, he manages, and soon enough, he finds a portal standing before him. He makes sure to shore up his mental defenses, casting a dozen spells in four different demonic tongues to make sure that nothing lurking between the veils of this world and the next drills its way into his mind.

He takes one last glance back, at what he hopes is the last time he sees the isles in his life, and steps into the portal.

He is met by a sickening smile and pale yellow eyes. Those eyes, he recognises. They’re the same ones that have seen the destruction of thousands of worlds, because they belonged to the creature that had destroyed them.

The _Titan._

“I don’t fear you.” He says, eyes hard.

It’s a lie, and they both know it.

Something batters against the fortifications of his mind. He is thankful to have shored them up prior to stepping into the portal- they buy him enough time to conjure up a blast that stuns the titan for a bit.

A second attack doesn’t come, and he doesn’t realize it until much, _much_ later. But the titan’s uncomforting grin as it fades back into the void is because it chooses to, not because he has driven away.

A small delay, a course chance caused by the Titan’s assault that he doesn’t notice as he continues his travels.

But that small change has him travel 36 years into the future.

\--

When he exits the portal, it’s not with any form of grace or decorum. He stumbles out like a drunken hermit, his insides roiling uncomfortably as he tries to keep his dinner down.

He takes notice of where he is, after successfully winning the battle against the rising stew in his gut, only to find he has no idea as to where exactly he is.

He sees trees on either side of him, not the eternal red of the isles but a thick green, offset by dark brown trunks that tower over him.

_First order of business, blend in._ He casts a small illusion spell over himself, just enough to turn his skin back to its prior complexion and to hide the black pits of his eyes. His ears, he leaves a bit pointier than normal, but not as big as they otherwise would have been. He supposes his height is another point of contention, 8’6” might be good for intimidation, but he supposes it’s not the best when trying to go unnoticed.

Seven feet tall seems a lot more reasonable, and, with a flick of his wrist, he shrinks down.

_Now that that’s done- wait a minute._

He looks down as he notices something, the ground underneath him is remarkably hard, a result of what seems to be him standing on rock of some description. It reminds him of the cobble roads that run through most cities in the isles, but this is different still.

He follows the stone path for a bit, wondering about how exactly they had managed to work away the seams so masterfully, when suddenly the road lights up.

More specifically, something lights the road up.

His head snaps up, and he finds himself staring at two lights.

_Strange_ , _last he’d remembered humans had no mastery of magic._

There’s a blare of a horn then, and, with horror, he realizes that it’s moving towards him at quite the pace.

“Ha-”

He can’t get the words out before an unholy screeching assaults his eardrums, and the next thing he knows, something hits him with the force of a warhammer.

He’s pretty sure he gets tossed a good twenty feet back, landing on the strange rock road before skidding a few more feet back.

Belos, great conqueror of the isles, leader of an army so vast it drank rivers dry-

Had just been hit by a car.

He hears a sound that he will later on learn to associate with a car door being thrown open, and the painful silence he is in is broken by a heavily accented female voice.

A _very angry_ female voice.

"¿¡Que me arreglaste los frenos?! George pedazo pendejo te voy a enseñar yo a arreglar cuando te meta el pie en el cu- ¿Ay Dios estás bien?"

He drags his head up off of the cold ground, looking at a pair of concerned brown eyes, belonging to a small tanned woman who is looking at him with wide eyes.

“Are you ok?” She asks him, but before he can respond she cuts him off “ArE yOu Ok? Really Camilia, you just hit him with a **_car_ ** and you ask him if he’s OK??!!” The woman paces back and forth frantically, breaking off into a language he doesn’t understand a word of.

Belos has always been a diplomat, one who could use honeyed words to sign alliances to prevent bloodshed. So, he says the first thing that pops up in his mind’s eye.

“Ow.”

_Shit._

It seems to do the trick. Her attention is fully on him once more. She kneels next to him, grabbing his hand first, before pressing two fingers to his neck.

“Can you talk?”  
  
“What?”   
  
She ignores him. “Pulse is steady, breathing’s fine, no sign of a punctured lung, pulse is normal. Does any pain stand out?” She asks him, he shakes his head no, nothing’s broken as far as he can tell.

She frowns as she looks at the car, noticing the dent in the hood and grille. “Well, guess George is gonna be able to explain what “fixing” my brakes means when I bring it ‘round tomorrow.” When she turns back she startles for a bit, before letting out a low whistle.

“Damn, you’re tall.” She mutters, before admonishing herself. “And stupid.” She adds quickly, watching his face shift into a frown. “You just got hit by a car, you should be laying down, certainly not trying to- HEY, are you listening to me?!” She shouts as the stranger merely turns around and begins walking back down the road.

She decides in that moment, that she is going to make sure this man is checked up, to make sure he really doesn’t have any injuries or something of the sort.

Just so she can _strangle_ him herself.

She hops back in her car, mutters a quick thank you to god, and the people responsible for making this car when it starts without a hitch. She drives forwards, pulling up alongside the man.

She rolls the windows down, waiting for him to take the hint, when he speaks up again.

“I hope you’re not planning to hit me again.”

_The nerve._

“No.” She grits out from behind clenched teeth, but the suggestion is an attractive sounding one, with the dismissive attitude of this ba- _no name calling, you_ **_did_ ** _run him over._ She quickly puts on a (very fake) smile, and remembers what her family had always told her.

“Hop in, I’ll drive you to the hospital.” 

“I can assure you, I am in no need of treatment.” She resists the urge to roll her eyes, about to chalk it up to male pride, when she notices something.

_She’s in second gear._

Her eyes fly back over to the man who is, very comfortably it seems, keeping pace with her going six miles an hour. Not something she expects from someone who’d just been tossed twenty feet across cement.

Maybe he _is_ really unharmed. Still, she might not have sworn a hippocratic oath, but she can’t in good conscience leave someone she’s just ran over to walk the next ten miles into town.

So, she pulls ahead, before cutting him off. As she turns the car off and unbuckles her seatbelt, she has the sneaking suspicion that convincing the man staring questioningly at her car to come with her is going to be an arduous task.

\--

Two. Hours.

It had taken her two fu- two hours to get home, most of that time had been spent trying to convince her current… guest. To come with her.

That had been a saint’s task.

Though, she supposes it was only the right thing to do. He’d been silent except when asked a question, and he was remarkably courteous when he answered. 

He also didn’t know where he was, or where he was from. She’s seen the sort before, sometimes coming into the clinic, in ragged clothing or babbling to people no longer there. The homeless, the abandoned and the destitute.

He doesn’t strike her as one of those. To her he seems like a man on the run, from himself.

It had taken her ten minutes of prying to extract his name.

“Belos” doesn’t sound like that common a name.

Doesn’t really sound like a first name, either.

She’s currently in the kitchen, trying to fix the two of them up some food before she’s off to bed. She’ll have to clear out the guest bedroom during the weekend, because she has a sneaking suspicion he’s gonna be staying for a while.

  
  


“Uh, Camilia.” the aforementioned “Belos” voice calls out from the other room, Well. That’s what she _thinks_ he’s saying, because holy shit is he bad at pronouncing spanish.

She walks into the living room, takes _one_ look at the scene before her-

And all but doubles over in laughter.

During the night, one thing has been a small ray of joy in the just, the shitshow that was tonight-

“Belos” was tall. Extremely so, and that had provided her with a good bit of laughter during the night.

Watching him try to cram himself into the passenger seat had nearly done her in. Witnessing him crawl back out had cracked her up to the extent that tears welled up in her eyes.

And then they’d entered her house. And he’d hit his head on the top of the doorframe.

She’d laughed at him to his face then.

But _this?!_

Belos was laid on her couch, her six foot long old leather couch. ix foot here being the operative word, as it meant that the guy’s legs were… basically dangling off of the couch in their entirety.

It looked absolutely _ridiculous_ , and she didn’t know if it was the insomnia or if it was just genuinely as funny as she found it, but her sides were aching from how hard she was laughing.

His _extremely_ unimpressed expression only made it better.

“Is there really no other option?”

She shakes her head, looking at him through the tears as she tries to get herself to stop laughing for long enough to answer.

“Y- your fault for being so tall.” She manages to wheeze out.

His expression souring even further is her only answer.

\--

He supposed it was all some kind of cosmic karma, the things that had happened to him lately.

First thing he does when trying to get away from the isles, is get himself into an accident, followed by the _reason_ for said accident to all but grab him by the ear and force him to come along with her.

_And no, he was_ **_not_ ** _taking responsibility for getting hit by that car._

After that, she had proceeded to laugh at him on three separate occasions. All the while, he simply grit his teeth and endured it.

The night spent on the couch hadn’t been the most uncomfortable place he’d ever slept, but it didn’t rank high either.

The food was delicious, however.

The following morning, it seemed like the universe was back to shitting in his breakfast once again.

She’d dragged him out of bed at the crack of dawn, told him in no uncertain terms that he needed some new clothes, and had dragged him out of the house.

The ride in that awful contraption called a “car” was hell, and he would’ve probably sold what was left of his soul for a decent mount. Thankfully it didn’t come to that, as she showed him how to shift the seat backwards.

He ended up almost laying flat, but at least his head wasn’t smushed against the ceiling anymore.

His legs were still cramped, however.

\-- 

Shopping had been, to put it mildly, a disaster.

Shop after shop simply didn’t have clothes that _fit_ him. The few occasions he walked into a door and the subsequent fits of laughter didn’t help either.

Finally they’d arrived at the last shop. Camilia had explained this was specifically designed to clothe people taller or generally bigger than usual, which had soured his mood considerably more.

_Why hadn’t she brought him here in the first place._

Somehow the fact that even they had nothing that fit his seven foot frame frustrated him to no end. In his frustration he noticed someone, wearing the same logo he recognised from the front of the store.

He shot a quick glance at the woman who’d driven him here, who was still browsing through different shirts, and stepped up to the man.

He cleared his throat once he’d caught up, finding the man looking over what he discerned from the label to be “track-suits”

The portly man turned around, craning his neck to look at the massive witch.

“Damn.” He hears him mutter under his breath, before finding his words. “What can I do to help you sir?”

With all the patience he has left, he manages to somehow fight back the snarl that threatens to spill from his lips, instead asking, in a polite- yet strained tone.

  
“Am I to understand, you don’t have my size?”

The man shrugs. “Well sorry dude, I didn’t know they made you.” 

Belos blinks.

As if somehow sensing the impending manslaughter, Camilia just- _appears_ next to him, yanking on his sleeve and slowly dragging him away from the now thoroughly terrified retail worker.

Once outside, she hits him on the arm, an impressive feat for one so small.

“Hey, he’s just a retail worker, if you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at the higher ups, he doesn’t get paid enough to deal with shit like that.”

He grunts in annoyance, before the two of them take off back towards the car. He notices soon enough that she’s having to speed walk in order to keep up with him, so. He slows down a bit.

She shoots him a thankful glance, he pretends he doesn’t notice. And then she asks him a question, one that gives him pause.

“So, what’s your name?”

He looks at her.

“I believe I gave you my name yesterday.”

She rolls her eyes. “And I gave you my _first_ name, not last. Or am I to believe your parents actually named you Belos?”

He wants to be offended, but can only let out a surprised guffaw of laughter at the deadpan tone she takes on. 

His answer takes a bit longer.

His first name. He’s not heard it in decades- hasn’t said it in even longer.

_A boy’s name_ , they had told him. _Belos, now that is a name worthy of an emperor_ they had said.

_Damn them and their words._

“Ciarán.” He says after a beat, the name unfamiliar to his ears. 

To his surprise, Camilia snorts, before breaking off into another chuckle.

“Oh what is it now?”

She looks at him confusedly. “You do know what Ciarán means, right?” To his regret he realizes that- no, he does in fact _not_ know. So he shakes his head.

Camilia cuts across him, making him realize they’re back at the woman’s car. “It means little dark one- alternatively, little dark haired one.” She smiles at him. “Your parents had a sense of humour, it seems.”

_Oh._ Now he gets it.

He does suppose it is pretty funny.

\--

Four months go by, and he finds himself still living with Camilia. He’d originally thought he’d be gone within the week.

She’d put a dampener on that plan. She’d _insisted_ he stay. And he had accepted, perhaps too eagerly.

They’d fallen into a routine, joking with each other whenever they could, which roughly translated to her mocking him for various things and him simply grumbling about it.

  
Secretly, he enjoyed it however, and he finds himself returning the teasing and the mocking more often than not.

It was- disarming to talk with someone, to not have to watch your words in fear of saying something that could be used against you. He’d not told her anything about his past, and she seemed to have accepted that quite easily.

“Either you tell me, or you don’t. It’s your business.” Was what she’d said once he’d asked her, and that had been the end of that.

Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of her hospitality and not contribute himself. So, he’d found himself a job (a lie) and once a week he came back with a paycheck.

Magic had its uses, even in a modern world he supposed. Being able to conjure forth money at the drop of a hat was laughably easy.

Besides, two thousand a week was reasonable, right?

Well, that was something he’d worry about some other time. The two of them were currently sitting in a restaurant, nothing fancy. An italian place she’d ordered from a few times. This was the second time they’d actually been there, however.

The first time had been… interesting.

Even now, Belos couldn’t help but glare at the spot where the ceiling fan used to be.

They were in the middle of dinner, Belos was gorging himself on a “Calzone”, one of the few things that actually filled him up, when she asked him a question.

“So, is this a date?”

He almost choked on his dinner.

“I suppose?”

\--one year later--

Sixteen months. That’s how long he’d been away from the isles.

Sixteen months, since a certain dominican woman had- quite literally, _crashed_ into his life.

A full year since she’d asked him that one question.

The two of them still bicker between the two of them without pause.

He still bumped into most things, curse these low door openings.

He’s still living in her house.

Sleeping arrangements have shifted, however.

No longer does he sleep on the couch, and he hasn’t slept in the guest room for a long, _long_ time.

Nights now are spent cuddled up to the woman who seems to have stolen his heart, without even knowing she had.

And by cuddled up, he means she clings to him like some sort of overgrown koala because he’s apparently, and he quotes, “Warm.”

Not that he’s complaining, looking at her softly snoring face in the early hours of the morning.

A few hours later he finally drags his sorry carcass out of bed, finding her missing. He’s never been a morning person, and Camilia definitely is.

As his senses return to him to the point that one might consider him alive, something she has sometimes questioned during the morning. He hears something.

Crying.

It’s muffled, but definitely there, and coming from the bathroom attached to the bedroom.

He’s up within a second. The next he almost rips the door off of its hinges, eyes wild and he vows that whoever has hurt her will die a thousand deaths.

There’s nobody in the bathroom except Camilia.

She looks at him, and his heart shatters. It’s not her usual smile, or her flirty smirk or any of the hundreds of expressions he’s catalogued. 

It’s one of fear.

“Camilia, are you okay?” He takes a step into the bathroom, when she flinches he doesn’t dare take another.

“I-I’m fine, thanks for worrying.” She tries, the tears streaking down her face make her reassurance thoroughly unconvincing.

“Camilia, what is it?” He asks again, and this time she looks at him. Holding up- some sort of stick?  
  
His brow furrows. “What is that? Is that one of those blood tests you mention sometimes?” His eyes widen. “You’re not sick, are you?!” 

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit._ He fists at his hair. The next full moon is a month away, and from what she’d told him he’s going to have to travel halfway across the world to get the correct ingredients, and she’s mentioned people passing away within days in the hospital.

He starts pacing, muttering to himself furiously, all the while Camilia stares owlishly at him.

A laugh bubbles up out of her throat.

“C-Ciarán, I’m not sick.” She calls out, he looks at her once more, standing in the door opening.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, you’re pregnant.” He says, before the realizations sets in.

_Pregnant._

He goes _white_.

_Camilia. Him. Pregnant._ _  
_ _  
_ _Baby._

_Child._

_Oh._

The last thing he registers is a panicked cry of “Honey!” and the rapidly approaching bathroom floor as he tips over forwards.

And then, everything goes black.

Safe to say, he does not live it down.

She spends the coming three weeks laughing at his broken nose, and the moment the bandage gets removed, she bursts out laughing once again.

Apparently it hadn’t been properly set, and now it was slightly bent.

This really was his life now, wasn’t it?

-9 months later-

The smell of antiseptic seeps through the air, and Belos finds himself pondering something.

He’s never been one to cry. He remembers very few occasions where he has done so.

He remembers crying when, at the age of six, he watches his family estate burn down. He _knows_ his family is still in there, but his legs refuse to move. He just stands there, frozen- crying.

He remembers crying into the shoulder as a small red demoness whisks him off, hiding him from the mob.

He remembers crying when he finds out that he has destroyed generations for _nothing._

And now, as he holds a swaddled bundle in his arms, he finds tears make their way down his cheeks as well.

“Softie.” He hears Camilia mutter from next to him. She’s tired- oh so tired. It had been a thankfully average birth, it had still been a terrifying thirteen hours from start to finish. But it was finally over.

And in his hands, he’s got a little girl.

She’s remarkably silent for one so young, instead looking at him inquisitively.

He slowly shifts her a bit, laying her down in the crook of his arm as he slowly brings a finger closer to the small baby.

“Do, do you have a name yet?” He asks, turning to the woman next to him, she shoots him another tired smile before answering.

“I was thinking Luz- it means light.” 

He looks at the tiny swaddled infant again.

“Luz.” he tests the name, he finds he likes it- it’s oddly fitting.

Belos has also never been one for nicknames, where Camilia had called him everything from Pendejo to grouch to honey, rarely even calling him by his first name. He’d mainly stuck with Camilia, not due to any kind of aloofness or something of that sort. He just- he’d never found a word that described her better.

Beautiful was an understatement, Clever an insult to her intellect, loving felt too little. Nothing summarized her quite like _Camilia_ did.

But, as he finds is the norm nowadays, he’s doing things he’s never done before.

“Yeah, Luz is- it’s perfect.” He says, stroking her cheek gently.

“My little light.”

\--

This blissful existence lasts for a few months. Luz’ well, her simply _being_ is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to him. And then, something happens.

He’s sat in the kitchen, feeding the tiny girl some milk, when something batters against his psyche.

It’s a feeling he knows, one he’d hoped never to experience again.

_The titan._

He feels it, and it shakes him to the core.

It’s _strong_ , stronger than he had ever dared fear it could have been, and it pulses and rages with the promise of a swift return.

He frowns. Something like that couldn’t be possible. It hadn’t even been five years since he’d left the isles. It would have taken it _decades_ to regain enough strength to even attempt to make a return.

It’s then that his thoughts drift to a particular conclusion, one that he doesn’t like. _At all._

He summons forth a book, one of the few sentimental possessions he’s ever allowed himself to have, and he begins to look, hoping he’s wrong.

It’s an enchanted book, one that catalogues his closest confidantes and their whereabouts, if they’ve died or not, how old they are and such.

He sees Camilia, her age listed at thirty-one, and he smiles. A grin breaks out when he sees Luz’ entry, he holds it up to the girl resting in his arm, but sees she’s already fallen back asleep.

He’s looking for one particular entry, and when he finds it, his blood freezes.

Kikimora, one of his most trusted friends, the person closest to him. The person who’d taken him in after his family had been…

His worst fear is made a reality.

Kikimora’s old, the fact her age is in the five digits is proof enough of that. (Not that he’d ever mention it in front of her, he respected her too much.)

But he _knew_ how old she was, they’d celebrated her birthday not two months prior to the battle at Bonesborough.

There were thirty-eight years unaccounted for. Discounting the around two years he’d been here, that would mean...

“Thirty-six years into the future.” He says, in terrified shock.

That’s why the titan had smiled at him

He’d been played for a fool.

A stupid, blind, ignorant _fool_.

He knows what he has to do, but he hates that he has to do it.

Though...

A smirk passes over his face.

_That might just work._

He _knew_ the exact date he’d left the isles. Transporting himself back wouldn’t be that hard, even without a portal key.

If he could calculate, from there, the exact day that was tonight, he could simply just leave back through the portal. It would appear as if nothing had happened.

Which would leave him with thirty-eight years to try and end the titan.

Surely, that was enough.

He supposed it was the best thing he could do.

_But what if it goes wrong_ , his mind supplies, and he- ever the pessimist- can’t help but agree.

So, that night- after tucking his little light in, he goes into the room he shares with Camilia, and with a heavy heart, he does something he only hopes she will forgive him for.

He extracts each and every single memory she has of them, before adding fake ones. Some random nondescript man that never would have held her interest, one that left her one day.

He takes the real memories, and he ever so carefully puts them between the pages of his memoir, before putting it back in the pocket dimension it usually resides in.

If he comes back, he’ll simply put them back, erasing the fake memories, and when she wakes up in the morning, she’ll be none the wiser.

  
But, should he die, should he fail or not be enough, she’ll at least not have to deal with the question of “why”

With a heavy heart, he leaves the house, locking the door behind him and throwing the key back through the mailbox, and walks into the woods.

He makes it about a hundred metres, before he recites the spell again. This time, he has a clear path. Somewhere to return to. It makes casting the spell much easier.

  
With a heavy heart, he takes one last look at the house in the distance, before stepping through the portal.

\--

  
He has made a _terrible_ mistake, he realizes not a moment later.

He’d gotten complacent, hadn’t put up his mental defenses or prepared any counter spells. He’s not in the veil between worlds a minute before the titan’s psyche crashes into him.

Things are different now, however.

He’s not strong enough.

The titan’s will plows through the ramshackle barriers he throws up and invades his mind. He can feel his spirit being torn asunder as the titan seems to look for something.

Finally, it seems to find it, and with horror he realizes what it’s after.

_His memories._

He feels, one by one, as they are ripped from within his mind, thrown into some far off place. He can only scream in agony as the titan’s malicious laughter rings out through his head.

By the time he’s back in the isles, he’s lost a lot of memories.

Two years’ worth, to be exact. The titan had ripped through his mind, and removed everything after he’d left the isles the first time.

It had miscalculated. It hadn’t dug deep enough. He might not remember what he’s lost, he might not recall the woman he loves and her gorgeous eyes, or the toothless smile that shone like a light in even the darkest days.

But he did remember one thing.

He would destroy the titan, and that was something he swore.

And so he institutes the covens, to limit the titan’s growth.

He plays off of the betrayal, condemning the brothers and sisters he once knew as heretics.

He becomes the first emperor the isles have known.

He misses the date he was supposed to be going back to earth, wrapped up in a council meeting, unaware he’d even _have_ to go back.

And so that morning, Camilia wakes up, and she remembers a man that had charmed her, one that had made her feel like a queen, that had buttered her up with honeyed words.

And one that had left her.

And both of them were none the wiser.

\--

When he comes to again, he notices that something is shaking him. 

His eyes widen, as he notices that it’s in fact _someone_ that is shaking him.

“Wake up, c’mon wake up!” The desperation in the gi- _no, not the girl._

_His daughter._

The desperation in her voice drives a dagger of guilt into his stomach, how long had he been out? A minute? An hour? 

Too long.

“I’m alright, I’m alright.” He says, holding out a hand to placate the terrified girl.

“Wha- what happened? We were in that weird dream place and suddenly I was back here and you dropped to the ground and you’ve just been laying there for like ten minutes.” The panicky tinge to her voice makes him feel even worse somehow.

“I found out what this bond of ours entails.” is what he says in reply.

Somehow, within the aether, the part of his soul that had resided within his familiar, and his wayward memories had come together again. And that piece of his soul, of _him_ had latched itself onto the closest thing to Belos it had found.

_Luz._

Five years ago was probably when it had happened. The dreams, the snippets of information- it had all been his soul calling out to him.

For the first time in fifty years, he was whole.

And then, when he opens his eyes again, he sees a sight that drives him to the brink.

His little girl, all grown up.

“My little light.” He says, tone disbelieving. As he reaches a hand towards the girl’s face.

She flinches away.

His heart _breaks._

“Y-you’re free to go.” He says, unable to hide the shake in his voice.

“What?”

“You bested me, and I am a man of my word.” He says. “Go now, nobody will stop you.”

“B-but what about you- about the bond?!” She tries, and he waves her off.

“I have recovered from far worse. Please, don’t worry about me. If you wish to know about the bond, I’ll tell you another time, seek me out when you want to, go now.”  
  
“But-”

“Go!” He says, voice harsher this time. She nods, gathering her stuff.

He tracks her with his magic, makes sure that she’s out of harm's way.

He tracks her all the way to the owl house.

And then, he breaks down.

-The following morning-

“My emperor, please. I implore you to reconsider.” Kikimora says.

He sighs, Hand clasped over his head. “I gave her my word, Kiki. I do not intend to break it.”

The scoff Kikimora lets out has his hackles rising, his other hand carves five grooves in the arm rest as he side-eyes her.

She might not be able to notice his glare, but the fact the braziers in the room suddenly burn with an uncomfortable intensity gives her pause.

A mere moment’s pause, but still.

“Sir, she harmed a dozen guards, caused unfathomable amounts of property damage, and from what I can tell she assaulted you directly! Surely you cannot allow this to go unpunished.”  
  
“Kiki.” He warns. Hoping she takes the hint, but she is old, and she has always been raised to think of humans as lesser.

_Bigotry, a parasite that festers in the shadow of tradition._ He thinks bitterly

“No, I have been with you longer than anyone, I will not allow this insult, if you are not going to punish this grave insult, then I will hunt down this creature myse-”

She doesn’t get to finish her sentence, as the light in the braziers intensifies a hundred fold, the guards stationed in the room leap aside to dodge the molten metal dripping down the walls as the emperor’s magic thrumms with it’s full, indomitable might.

He leaps to his feet, eyes glowing blue behind his mask, and when he opens his mouth, he lets out a roar that has the castle’s very foundations shake.

  
  


**_“She is my daughter!!”_ **The stone rattles, the tapestries rip and a few of his guards are bowled over by the force of the shout, by the sheer magical might contained within the statement.

“What…” 

He looks at Kikimora, who has gone pale, and then he looks at the twenty or so guards situated within the room.

He has made a _very_ big mistake.

\--

It’s a mere three hours later, when the news reaches the cabal.

When they learn of it, they laugh and jeer, they mock him with disgust in their voices and gleeful laughter at how “low” he has fallen in their eyes.

There is something, however, that changes, a decision that the council is unanimous in making.

The girl is no longer to be brought to them alive.

  
She is to _die_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering what Camilia said, it's "Fixed my brakes?! George you bastard I'll show you fixing when I shove my foot up- Oh my god are you okay?"
> 
> Yeah, Camilia angery
> 
> Well, as per usual, comments for me = the happy particles being made, I adore interacting with this community that my fic has attracted and I love hearing what you all have to say, be they theories, analysis, or hell- even small chapter reviews. I love every single comment, and I wish to read them all
> 
> See you all next time, and I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	11. Consequences and conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's chapter 11, dealing with the aftermath of chapter 10 and now it'll affect the story going forwards,
> 
> I'd like to as per usual thank [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) for her awesome work editing this chapter.

Luz _ran._

Her legs were unsteady, her lungs were burning and her head was throbbing with the feeling of an oncoming headache, and yet, she ran.

She jumped over falling logs, swerved between the trees, and trampled through the undergrowth.

_Stop running, relax, calm down._ Her mind screamed at her as she tore through the moonlit forest at a breakneck pace. Luz didn’t listen. She didn’t _want_ to listen. Focusing on the pounding of her heart and the lack of air she was getting was better than focusing on the night’s events.

It was silly, really. Her exhausted mind managed to push the echo past the exhaustion and delirium. She’d been told of a religious cult, of a monstrous creature that defied imagination- the same creature she was currently _running atop of_. And yet, that wasn’t the thing that was plaguing her mind.

It was two blue eyes, and three spoken words.

Something had happened, whist Belos had been lying on the floor of her bedroom, motionless.

He’d changed, slowly, almost unnoticeably so. The colour of his skin had shifted from its paper white to a pale, yet undoubtedly healthier complexion.

That wasn’t what was currently gnawing at her.

When she’d finally given in to her body’s desperate pleading, catching herself on a tree as she panted with exhaustion, desperately trying to spur her lungs back into action. It had all resurfaced, and with it, things that disturbed her.

When those eyes had opened again, they way they’d looked at her- it had made a pang of recognition shoot through her, a memory she couldn’t recall, yet oh so familiar, like walking past a bakery and getting a smell of a pastry you haven’t had in years.

**_“My little light.”_ ** Even now, the words spoken sent a shiver up her spine. The way his hand had reached out, gently- so very gently. Like he was trying to soothe a crying infant.

A nickname she’d only ever heard her mother call her. And the way it was spoken- with such an air of, of affection and longing, like....

_Like a father._

That was it, wasn’t it? The thing that had freaked her out so much. A week she’d spent in his company, and during those days she would admit, albeit begrudgingly, that he hadn’t been terrible, it had been interesting, trying to discover what they could about this supposed magic of her’s, and the connection between them.

There had, thankfully been some distance between the two of them- this strangely comfortable distance that gave her some room, that made it feel less real.

That was gone now, at least from his side it seemed- and it freaked her out.

“HIIYA LUUUZ”  
  
“AAH” Luz screamed, bolting a solid foot in the air as she became aware of the uncomfortably close visage of Hooty. Right in front of her face.

Apparently, she’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed the fact that the Owl House was just past the clearing in front of her.

Just looking at the house, whatever she could see past Hooty’s face encroaching ever so slowly into her field of view, made her feel at ease.

She was home.

The whole Belos situation seemed- well it didn’t feel as pressing, now, as she strode across the clearing with a spring in her step, trying to ignore the sound of Hooty slowly sinking back into the door. The storm within her mind receded to a stiff breeze. It was there still, definitely noticeable, too, but it wasn’t the only thing she could focus on.

As she opened the door, having put Hooty's little night hat back on and watching the house demon fall asleep in a second flat- she noticed something.

She wasn’t alone. The lights might not have been on, but there was a lantern on the small coffee table, bathing that corner of the room in an orange light. 

She noticed the figure sitting on the floor, hunched over a stack of papers. At the same time, they noticed her, their eyes meeting. A flash of realization passed over Luz’ face.

_Lilith._

She frowns. At the same time, the raven haired witch’s eyebrows knitted together in surprise. Neither said anything, the only sounds in the room being the faint flickering of the flame and the sounds of King’s snoring on the chair.

Lilith’s _here_ , right in front of her. The last she’s seen of her had been in the emperor’s castle a week ago, when the fact that Eda’s condition had been the handiwork of her own _sister_ had been the biggest bombshell that had dropped in a while.

There’s a part of Luz that wants to _scream_ , that wants to cross the twenty foot distance surrounding them and finish what she’d started in the emperor’s castle, to rage and shout and curse and make the woman looking at her feel, to make her truly _experience_ what her sister might have gone through.

She doesn’t, because that’s something Eda has a right to do. Eda’s been the one living with the effects of her sister’s selfishness for decades, it feels _wrong_ to try and take that away from her just for some catharsis.

So she says nothing, and neither does Lilith.

What feels like an eternity- likely a mere minute, but still- passes. The tension thickens, neither saying a word. It’s gotten to the point that it’s almost palpable when clouds finally burst and the silence shatters.

The older witch slowly puts the quill in her hand back in the adjacent jar of ink, before bringing her hands up to her hair, and then-

“I hope my hair is safe tonight?”

  
Luz _snorts._

“No, tonight your hair is safe.” A lion’s share of the tension bleeds out of the room with that comment, as both of them chuckle somewhat awkwardly.

“I take it then, that you somehow managed to escape the castle.” Lilith says, trying to make conversation. The tone is light, almost emotionless, but there’s a hint of curiosity and... frustration? There, Luz frowns, before nodding.

“Yeah, I did.”

The chuckle that bubbles forth from the older witch’s lips isn’t one of happiness, and when she looks at Luz again, there’s something sharp in her expression that sets her on edge.

“How do you keep doing it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been trying to get Eda’s curse undone for decades, it took me months, _years_ to pry a deal out of Belos, and he lied to me. You, _you_ just walk up and ask nicely, and he just does it.” The frustration in her voice is painful to hear, her hand shakes as it reaches over the table, grabbing a glass vial of apple blood from which she takes an uncomfortably large swig.

Luz wants to bring up the fact that she actually had something the emperor could’ve used to his advantage, but something stills that logical part of her brain- it’s indignation at the accusation.

“You shouldn’t have cursed Eda to begin with.” Luz counters, and Lilith _glares_ at her then. She has a feeling that if they weren’t in the Owl House, she would’ve spent the next ten minutes dodging magic bolts for that comment.

After a tense few seconds, Lilith’s expression shifts, eyes downcast as they turn towards the ground. A sigh passes her lips that seems to deflate the witch completely. “You’re right. Eda paid the price for my foolishness.”

“Why even do something like that?” Luz asks. “I mean, I don’t have any siblings, and I’ve only really had friends for like- a little over a month? But I couldn’t imagine doing something like _that_ to them.” Lilith’s gaze meets hers again, pulled away from glaring at the floor by the girl's words, and there’s a wetness building up in her eyes, tears she’s desperately fighting not to shed.

“Neither could I.” She admits, the confession hangs in the air for a few moments, before- in a voice that seems to quiver with a lifetime of regret, she elaborates- “Eda and I, we- we were always together, didn’t matter what we did or where we went, we were always together. We both wanted to join the emperor’s coven, but there was only one spot left.”

“And so you wanted to win by cheating?” Luz says, but there’s no real bite to the accusation, an undertone of curiosity has replaced it.

“Eda, she always worked so much harder than everyone else, I never would have stood a chance. So, I went to the night market the night before, the curse wasn’t even supposed to do any of that owl stuff, it was supposed to sap a bit of her powers, bring her down to my own level, it was only supposed to last for a day.”

“And what happened, did you win?”

Lilith flinches at that, before shaking her head. “She forfeited, she didn’t want to fight her sister, she turned away a- and that’s when she first transformed..” A wet laugh bursts from trembling lips. “I- I’d never even considered something like that, but that’s Eda for you.” Luz can’t help but feel a pang of pity for the older Clawthorne. It’s not going to make her forgive the ex- leader of the emperor’s coven, not by a long shot. But it’s- strangely comforting to know that it wasn’t something done with any malicious intent.

Still, she’s not sure what she’s gonna do if the older woman breaks down crying, something she seems uncomfortably close to doing at this moment. Maybe changing the topic would be a better idea? Surely it couldn’t be worse than having a crying Lilith Clawthorne in the living room at, what? 2, 3 AM?

“So, you’re staying at the Owl House now?” She says, interrupting the woman about to reach for the vial of apple blood again. She nods shakily, confirming Luz’ question.

“Yeah, I’ve been sleeping on the couch, or- well, fighting over the couch with King.” Both of them look to the small demon currently curled up on the chair. “I won tonight.”

“So, what are you doing up this late?” Luz can't help but let her curiosity get the better of her now.

Lilith takes one look at the stack of papers before her, sighs deeply, and reaches over to the vial of apple blood again, Luz is beginning to worry about how much the woman seems to have drank, the glass vial is half empty at this point.

“I uh, usually work till late. These are schematics of the Emperor’s castle.” Lilith says, holding out one of the pieces of paper. Luz takes a few steps forwards, looking at the paper for a bit. She recognises the labyrinthian structure.

“Why?” She says, handing the paper back to the raven haired witch, with another sigh Lilith crumples up the paper before incinerating it into a small pile of ash with a quick fire spell.

“Eda wanted me to help break you out, something that isn't necessary anymore it seems, she brought up a good point. You _did_ save my life, thank you for that by the way.”

“Uh, no problem?”

“And well, she’d kick me out otherwise, and I’m currently unemployed- and homeless.” There’s an attempt to make light of the situation, Lilith tries to brush it off behind a joke, but her voice is trembling

Both of them fall silent at that, and the awkward silence from earlier sets in again. Before Lilith says something that has Luz’ skin crawl.

“Is it true, are you really…. his?”

Luz’ eyes widen comically.

_WHAT, HOW WHEN WHERE WHY DOES SHE KNOW!???_

“Uh, wha- what are you talking about?”

“Eda told me.”

_Well… crap. Tonight has been too much to deal with this discussion right now._

“C-can we talk about that another time?” She tries, and is surprised when after a bit, Lilith inclines her head.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Goodnight.”

Luz walks out of the room a little quicker than normal. Once in her room, she wastes no time curling up in her sleeping bag and hoping for sleep to come quickly.

Thankfully, it did, but it was a sleep filled with the emperor’s voice, and a thousand questions she wanted to ask.

\--

The following morning, Luz finds herself awoken by the normal bustling of the Owl House. She hears Eda yelling at Hooty and King’s angry screeches that are no doubt a result from being ignored.

She unzips her sleeping bag, changing into her normal hoodie before walking downstairs. She spots Lilith sleeping on the couch, a blanket draped over her as she dozes away peacefully, unaware of the chaos a few meters away from her.

It’s almost amusing, how the impeccable Lilith snores like a lumberjack.

Still, the sounds of what seem like copper being launched at a certain house demon and the hissing in response makes her aware of one fact.

They don’t know she’s back yet.

_Well, time to get it over with._ She thinks, and after putting on a brave face, she steps into the doorway.

King _freezes_ the moment his eyes land on her. With a high pitched scream of _“You’re back!!!!”_ He hops off of the chair and slams into her legs, hugging them for all he’s worth.

She crouches down, picking up the small king of demons before hugging him back.

“I missed you too.” She mutters, and she feels King’s squeeze her a bit tighter in response, when she puts him back down he rushes off into the living room, returning moments later with her phone.

“Sorry I used up all the battery- I mean this foolish device of yours has a pitiful life expectancy, nyeh.” He says. Luz chuckles, muttering a quick “thanks” as she puts the phone back in her pocket.

Suddenly there’s a hand ruffling her head, Eda walking past her with a mug of apple blood.

“Hi kid.” she mutters before taking a sip and heading towards the front door. 

She looks at King confusedly.”uhh.”

“Wait for it.”

Eda turns around slowly. The moment her eyes land on Luz, she blinks, mouth agape.

The mug clatters to the floor, the juice spilling out over the carpet. She vaguely notices Hooty lapping up the liquid before a blur _slams_ into her, a pair of arms wrap around her with an intensity that’s almost uncomfortable but feels so, so right. 

She returns the hug after a few moments, arms wrapping around Eda’s waist. She nuzzles deeply into the hug. Everything that’s happened just seems less important right now.

Slowly but surely, the two detach themselves, neither really _wanting_ to let go, suddenly, Eda’s crouched down to her level, arms on her shoulders.

“You alright kid? No curses or do-hickeys I need to be worried about, right?”

Luz _laughs._ “Eda, you’re being fussy.”

“Cram it. I just spent a week worrying, I’m allowed this.” Luz rolls her eyes but allows the check-up.

“Lilith was there when I came back, by the way. She works pretty late.” Eda stiffens for a bit, before shaking her head.

“You sure? Lily’s never been one to stay up late, always punctual.” Luz nods, affirming that she in fact _was_ sure.

Eda frowns. “That’s something to ask about later, how’d you escape, by the way?” Luz beams at that.

“I didn’t just escape, I _beat_ him.”

Eda looks at her with a look that reminds her of the looks the people at human-school used to give her, like she’s just grown a second, and possibly a third head- all whilst turning _pink._

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Nope.”

Next thing she knows, she’s being ushered off to the kitchen.

“I’m gonna need details, _lots_ of details.”

\--

The day was passing, quicker than he’d imagined, yet slower than he would have liked at the moment. He sat in his private study as he had for the past eight hours, sat on his wooden chair in the corner, surrounded by hundreds of drawings, each and every single one of them corresponding to a memory.

Every once in a while, he’d tear his gaze away from one of the pictures in his hands. Each time, he noticed the sun crawling a bit further across the sky. 

His mask was laid on the table next to him. He supposed he didn’t really need it within the isolation of his private quarters.

It also made it easier to wipe away the tears.

The night’s events played through his mind on repeat, everything- all the hundreds, if not thousands of hours of speculating, and never would he ever have _considered_ the possibility that had become a reality.

He supposes he really should’ve expected the unexpected.

After all, there _was_ a Noceda involved.

He hears the door to his study open, slowly, meticulously. He tenses for a moment as footsteps echo throughout the candle-lit room. But he relaxed soon after. Those footsteps were familiar.

“Kiki, I recall telling people this tower is off-limits.” He says. There’s no real venom in his voice, merely a tired tone that he hopes she doesn’t inquire about any further.

He shifts the chair around, turning to see what she’s doing. She’s looking at the hundreds of drawings that are strewn across the walls, depicting a myriad of scenarios, each and every single one has his heart ache.

“Do you remember, I think it was sixty years ago, when you asked me about what it was like, living this long?”

He blinks, realizing he’s been lost in thought, before turning his head back to his right hand woman.

“You mean, after we won that battle near the armpit?”

She nods.”The rain beat the grassy field into mud, the cavalry couldn’t charge, we were outnumbered four to one.” 

That battle was one that would stick with him forever, they’d fought like beasts that night. A pack of sick and starving wolves breaking themselves upon a herd of bison. They’d been beaten down, their charges on foot pushed back half a dozen times. 

“You saved us that night.” He says, and it’s the first time in fifty years he’s spoken fondly about those vile times. “I’d never seen someone use an ice spell that effectively before.”

It was _beautiful._ Horrifying, but a work of art, freezing the two inches of rain-soaked mud into permafrost just as the enemy had charged at him.

Men, carried forth by their momentum suddenly found their legs snapped. The various war mounts had suffered the same fate, throwing their riders as their limbs cracked and shattered like toothpicks.

None had escaped that night. Thinking of that detail sours his mood somewhat.

“Anyways, back to the question at hand, do you remember that night?”

He does, he remembers the conversation they’d had well. He remembers prying the woman before him with questions, high on victory and thoroughly drunk.

He recalls the snippet she’d shared about herself that night.

“Y’know, age really isn’t what matters, after all. Most people stop living at some point, it’s usually long before they die anyways.”

“What do you mean by that?” He’d drunkenly asked.

“When you get to a certain age, you just- you stop paying attention to the here, the _now._ You think of how the blossoms used to bloom, of how you laughed and loved, about winters past instead of springs to come, and as far as I’m concerned. Living in the past, that’s not living.”

He’d never fully understood the meaning of those words- still didn’t. Truth be told, but he’d thought of them often, when wondering if there had been any way he could’ve done something different.

“Why bring that night up now?” He asks.

“Because you’ve got that same look in your eyes, I’ve seen it a thousand times before. Those are the eyes of a man mourning the life he had.” She says, with a sigh.

“I- “ He begins, but he can’t bring himself to continue, falling silent as he looks once more out the window. “I did so many things, horrible, _evil_ things. And yet nothing haunts me like that.”

“What?”

“Leaving them.” 

“The human?” Kikimora says. The dismissive tone makes his hackles rise, but he swallows back the impulse to.. _inquire_ further, instead he merely quirks an eyebrow.

“She has a name, you know. Luz Noceda.” 

“Is it true?” She says, ignoring him. “Is she truly… Yours?” 

“Yes.” He answers back instantly. “She’s of my own flesh and blood, my daughter.”

“Why?”

He blinks, brows furrowing as he looks down at Kiki once again, she’s meeting his gaze, an expression of genuine confusion on her face.

“What?”

“You’re the emperor, you could have married the most powerful demoness on the isles, the most beautiful witch. Anything you could have wished for would have been yours. Why a human?”  
  


“ _Careful_ , Kikimora, you overstep.” He growls. He can feel the magic bubbling to the surface. His fist clenches, nails digging painfully into the skin of his hand. It’s a pleasant distraction from the sheer fury that courses through him.

“I’m just asking, my liege. I do not understand it. Why seek out a human? They are without magic, they are weak, fragile, benea-”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll _shut your mouth_.” He says, and, ever the faithful servant, Kikimora does just that. He sighs, pushing himself up off of the chair. He towers over the small demoness. Looking down on her soothes him somewhat, a reminder that her babbling can easily be stopped should he choose to.

“I- I loved her, and somehow, she loved me too. You say you could have provided me with any bride I could have wished for. Can you say to me, you could have found someone who loved me? _Me?_ Not Belos or the mighty Emperor or even the “titan’s messenger”? Me, Ciarán?”

The mention of his first name stumps her for a few seconds, before she surprises him. Her shoulders shake, and a strange sound passes from her lips as she doubles over.

It takes him a few moments to realize that she’s _laughing._ He just stands there, confused, unsure of what to do.

After a few moments, she seems to have regained some semblance of control over herself, as she lets the last chuckles pass through her lips, she says. “If anyone had ever told me that Emperor Belos himself would preach of love, I would have called them mad.”

He lets out a snort. “I do suppose it is out of character.”

“When did you even find the time?” He looks at her confused, before the meaning behind her words smacks him in the face.

  
“I’m not discussing that with you.”

“Well you’re discussing _something_ with me. I’m too invested now, or would you like me to tell the shade? I’m sure that would be much more interesting to watch.”

He knows that he’s been beaten, and so. He obliged her, warping the stone into a makeshift chair.

“Well, where to begin?”

“At the beginning.”  
  
And so he tells her about everything. About the titan and his decision to leave, about the woman that had almost broken his bones and saved his soul, about the bickering and the banter, the bitching and the love, about the product of that love and his decision to leave them behind, about the titan’s interference and the years he had forever lost.

At the end of his tale, he’s almost been driven to tears.

From the discreet snorting he hears, Kikimora doesn’t seem to be faring much better.

“You made a mistake, earlier today.” She says, and he cannot help but agree.

“I allowed my emotions to get the best of me.”

“They will come for her.”

“They will _die_ before they get the opportunity.”  
  
“She’s not safe out there.” 

“She has the Clawthorne sisters and the shade looking after her.” 

  
“You know it will not be enough.”  
  
“I do.” 

“You know what you have to do.”  
  
He sighs, but he stands up. _She is right._ He knows what he has to do, it is the best way to keep her safe.

“Summon the council.”

\--

This was… unusual.

Alador Blight was a busy man. Whilst the abomination coven might not have the members of the potion or plant covens, he still has tens of thousands of witches he is responsible for. He was in a meeting, discussing new revolutionary discoveries about abomination magic, when he’d received the summons.

An emergency summons of the council meant things were afoot. _Bad_ things. So, he’d rushed out of the meeting, travelling towards the castle with all haste.

They were currently sitting, all nine of them around the table. Lilith’s expulsion from the coven had been a rumor that spread like wildfire through the upper echelons of the isles.

Odalia had laughed, mocking the Clawthorne for something she had no idea of. Alador wasn’t so optimistic.

He might not have liked Lilith, but she was reliable- steadfast. He just hoped her replacement would have the same qualities.

He sighed, rubbing his temples as he came to the realization that he was going to have to find a new mentor for Amity. Lilith might not have been declared a criminal, but Odalia wouldn’t stand for a mere “commoner” teaching a Blight.

Some nights, he cursed her incessant pride.

The Emperor swept into the room then, flanked on one side by Kikimora, the right hand woman they knew was older than most of their bloodlines,

They rose in unison, all bowing as the emperor stood before his chair.

He didn’t sit down, but motioned for them all to take their places.

From within his cloak, the famous shape of his staff appeared. The orb atop it crackled with roaring red energies. They intensified and brightened until a few had to avert their eyes.

Even though his eyes burned, Alador didn’t look away. He couldn’t allow the Blight family to appear weak, even before the indomitable might of the Emperor.

When the glow subsided, hovering in the air above the white wooden table, was a projection.

Alador felt like he recognised the figure.

  
Tanned skin, dark brown hair, a slightly lengthened pixie cut. a two toned hoodie and white shoes, denim shorts as well.

“Do any of you recognise this person.” Belos’ voice rang out, murmurs rang throughout the room. Alador merely looked, he was sure he recognised the girl from somewhere.

Then, something caught his eyes, within the dark brown mess of a haircut, her ears poked out.

_Rounded ears._

“The human.” He muttered, suddenly all eyes were on him. _That’s_ where he’d recognised her from, she fit the description his youngest had given of her perfectly.

_What would Belos want with a human?_

“A human?” He could hear Quill snort derisively from the other side of the table. He mentally scolded the foolish youngster for laying his opinions down on the table like that. 

The temperature in the room dropped, and even though they couldn’t see it, the glare Belos sent Quill at the comment was felt by all of them.

“Doesn’t she study at Hexside?” Alador interjects, drawing the attention away from Quill and onto him. “My daughter has mentioned her before.” 

“A human studying magic, how… Interesting.” Cirin’s voice calls out, and loathe to admit it, he agrees. Humans had no magic of their own, that was common knowledge among all in the isles. Coincidentally it was the main reason many considered humans below them.

“Do you wish for us to bring her to you?” The gruff head of the bard coven mutters from within his bushy beard.

_Wow. That’s like- the fourth time I’ve actually heard him speak._ Alador thinks he'd kept a tally. When one attended as many meetings as one of the heads of the covens, oftentimes one needed to find ways to spend the boring moments, the alternative was paying attention to the droning. And that would do his sanity in.

Not because of the meeting, but having to recount them every. Single. Time. And Odalia would make him, he knew she would.

He takes a sip of the drink in front of him.

“No.” Belos’ voice rings out again. “You, and all those within your ranks, are to protect her with your lives.”

Only to spit it straight back out.

“What?” He says, pure confusion lacing every syllable.

“For once I agree with the muckhead.” Cirin’s voice calls out. He’s too shocked to register the insult, merely continuing to gawk at Belos.

“Yeah, why should we protect some mere _human?”_ Quill adds.

_One day I am going to_ **_strangle_ ** _him._ Alador thinks to himself, screwing his eyes shut as he groans in frustration.

A glance in the Emperor’s direction makes him wonder if he’ll even get the chance.

Two mirrored rings of pure blue run within the black holes of the golden mask, both of them boring into Quill’s soul.

“Quill.” The emperor said, and Alador wondered if he’d ever feel warmth again, the psychic frost spreading up the black walls as the emperor’s words seemed to freeze the air itself.

“The next time you make such a comment about my daughter, I wipe you, your family, your entire bloodline, even your memory, from the annals of history.”

Noone dared to speak. The weight of the words spoken without a hint of the emperor’s normal tone or decorum, there was no facade, there was only raw emotion.

That was the growl of an angry parent, seconds away from ripping apart whatever stood in their way.

No words dared leave his lips, but someone did speak up. Cirin, her expression one of apprehensive curiosity.

“Please forgive me, my liege. But did you say ``your daughter?”

“I did.” With that confirmation, it was as if a spell had been broken. Murmurs broke out in every corner, Alador merely sat there, shocked to the core.

If Quill had laid his opinions on the table, Belos had just done the same with his very heart. What was he _thinking_? He had always been steps ahead of their political games. To drop such an obvious weakness that could be used against him made no sense to Alador’s mind.

“I am telling you this, because I have to. She is of my blood, my only child, and therefore the next in line to the throne of the Isles.”  
  
He pitied the girl in that moment, he knew what life would entail for her now, people would try to get in her good graces, trying to use her to further their own goals. It was the same thing that had happened to him, when he’d been younger.

The same thing Odalia was beginning to discuss doing to their children.

“As someone with a relation to me, those who would usurp me would come after her too. From what I can gather the information might have already been leaked to them. I wish for you all to swear it upon your very family names, that you will keep her safe, no matter the cost.”

Alador in that moment realizes the emperor’s gambit. Telling them wasn’t something he felt like he should share, it was a necessity to his eyes. Those heathen “red truth” cultists, among others, would jump onto the chance to harm the Emperor, and using a child that bore no sins would cause them not even a wink of lost sleep.

Had he kept it a secret, they might have only found out when she’d been taken, or worse. This ensures that every single coven member on the Isles would be obligated to protect her.

_A masterstroke, he has to admit._

As the coven leaders are dismissed one by one, each swearing upon their family names to protect the newly found princess, Alador has only one thought on his mind.

He has to speak to Amity.

\--

The return trip to Blight manor had been- significantly longer. He knew Odalia would want to hear about the new developments, so he’d timed it that she would be off, no doubt meeting up with her horrid “friends” that she seemed to utterly despise from the way she talked about them, yet returned every week.

He needed her out of the house for this.

When he came back, he discarded his cloak immediately, retreating into his study before calling over a servant.

“Summon Amity for me.” He’d said, before turning back to the small stack of litigation he had assembled upon the elegantly furnished desk.

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps down the hall catch his attention, followed by the rapping of a hand upon the wooden doorframe.

“Enter.” He says, turning away from the paperwork.

His youngest daughter steps into the study, her posture is perfect, ramrod straight with her hands behind her back. Like Odalia had taught them to stand.

“You summoned me, father?”

“Yes, I am to understand you have been in contact with a _human_ by the name of Luz Noceda, am I correct?” He enunciates the word human, and watches, to his chagrin, as Amity’s face drains of all colour. Her eyes turn to the ground.

_She’s probably expecting me to forbid her from talking to the human again._ They’d done it with Willow Park, Odalia had insisted that any further association with the girl would have led to a tarnishing of their reputation.

Alador had tried to argue that a child as young as her shouldn’t be expected to bear a family’s expectations just yet.

He’d lost that argument, and looking at the girl before him. He wishes he’d fought harder.

It’s the same with the twins, never impolite or brash, but…

When was the last time he’d been called anything but “father”? Father was polite, it was proper, it was expected. It was a _title_.

Not something one would call their _actual_ father.

He supposes their distance can only be blamed on himself, but that is something to regret another time. Amity’s eyes are still downcast towards the floor, and he sighs.

“Please look at me.” He reminds her, sparing her the lecture Odalia would no doubt have given her had she done the same in her mother’s presence.

When her eyes rise up to meet his again, he is surprised to find tears welling up in them.

“Fret not, you are still allowed to keep associating with her, I merely wish to know something.”

Amity looks at him like he’s a stranger, before stumbling over her words, no doubt trying to form an “adequate” reply.

“She’s uh, strange. But nice, and sweet- very sweet, she cares a lot for people, and tries to do right by them.”

There’s two things that Alador notices in that moment.

One, she sounds like the complete opposite of the Emperor.

Two, his daughter is _blushing_.

He looks at her, confused for a few seconds, before he connects the dots.

_His daughter has a crush on the emperor’s daughter._

All this time Odalia had been trying to maneuver their daughter into the upper echelons of the isles, and Amity ended up developing a crush on Belos’ daughter. Odalia is going to _lose_ it when she hears of this, but she’s not going to be able to do anything. Her pride will not allow her distaste for such things to shine through.

And he’s got front row seats for when it happens.

The mere thought...

He cannot subdue the giggle that dares exit his lips, and he feels tears of mirth well up in his eyes as his daughter looks at him like he’s gone insane.

“Father?” She asks slowly, he just waves her off.

“You- you’re dismissed.” He says, and with a quick nod she leaves the room. 

Alador doesn’t stop chuckling for a few minutes. All the while, one thought passes through his mind, again and again.

  
“ _This_ will certainly be interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, done. 
> 
> as per usual, leave a comment, reading them is genuinely one hell of a joy for me, I always like reading what people think about my stuff. Be it analyses or theories of just general comments.
> 
> Anyways, see you guys on the next chapter!


	12. In the spotlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12's here, and I promise you this one's gonna be a fun one.
> 
> As per usual [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) Has been a massive help with the editing.
> 
> Now, I'd also like to shout out [Gojiratheking106](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gojiratheking106/pseuds/Gojiratheking106) If you like the way I write Alador you'll love his fic [Emeralds and Sparrows](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26678305/chapters/65068693) It and it's prequel are high recommendations imo.
> 
> Now a slight warning, one. There will be some mentioning of gore later in this chapter, so prepare yourself for that.
> 
> Two. Odalia Blight is a bigoted witch and her bullshit is on full display for a bit, if you are uncomfortable with reading things to that effect, I advise caution.

The news had spread like wildfire.

There had been no massive fanfare. The closest to an official statement made had been at the council, and yet it had made its way up the grapevine with a simply ridiculous haste.

It hadn’t even been a day, and yet everywhere on the isles the hushed whispers spoke of the same development.

“I heard Belos got her as a gift from the titan.”  
  
“She’s one of the emperor’s experiments.”  
  
“He’s playing some kind of trick.”  
  
“I don’t believe it.”  
  
Within twenty-four hours, hundreds of versions of the exact same story had made the rounds. All of them congregating back to one thing.

The Emperor had a child.

A human, no less. The story varied. Some said he had snatched her away in the night, some claimed he had bartered with dark forces to produce an heir, a few fools even claimed their mighty leader had loved a human woman once upon a time.

It didn’t matter, because it all led back to one person.

Luz Noceda.  
  
The name was familiar to some. A human that had wandered into the Isles. Most people wrote her off as a curiosity and nothing more. When news of her tutelage under the owl lady spread, some scorned her. By the time of her enrollment at Hexside had spread, everyone had all but forgotten about the human.

By the end of the day, she was the single most talked about person on the isles.

\--

When principal Hieronymus Bump found out, he had simply been going about his day. Sunday shopping was one of his few pleasures in life, just taking his time, conversing with the various stall owners and buying fresh produce.

A perfect way to calm his nerves before another week of dealing with all those entitled little shi- the next generation of witches as he guided them through school.

He’d just paid a few hundred snails for one of his favourite treats, a jar of crab apples, this time of year they were deliciously crunchy- less likely to pinch him too, when someone had come up to him.

He recognised the man, Perry Porter, the father of one Augustus “Gus” Porter, a gifted young illusion track witch. A renowned reporter for the foremost news channel on the Isles.

He frowned a bit as he saw the microphone in the man’s hand, and spotted the camera crew following the reporter, straight towards him.

“Ah mister Porter, how are you.” He asked, taking in the man’s near frantic expression.  
  
“I’m doing fine, thank you. Are you available for a quick interview?” Bump looked around, trying to find- and coming up short on- an excuse to politely decline the offer.

“I suppose, I’m just here doing some shopping. How may I help you.” He says, and he supposes a ten minute delay isn’t all that bad.

The microphone is all but thrust in his face.

“How do you feel, having the privilege of having the princess of the Isles attending your school.” 

Did- did he hear that right?  
  
He gave Frenwin a quick whack, furiously muttering a quick “Are you messing with me again?” Under his breath before turning back to the camera.

“Unfortunately I have no idea as to what you mean, last I heard we still had an Emperor. And unless he abdicated earlier today I imagine we still do.”

The way Perry looks at him, makes him feel like he’s missed something, a few seconds pass. _I could’ve been home by now_. He thinks, before Perry finds his words again.

“Do you mean, you were unaware.”

“Of what?”

Perry turns back to the camera. “Reliable sources have informed us of a _shocking_ development. Earlier today, during a council meeting between the leaders of all covens the information that our Emperor Belos has a _daughter_ was revealed.” He turns back to Bump again, holding out his microphone to the elderly principal. “The girl in question is currently enrolled at the Hexside school of magic and demonics.”  
  


Bump doesn’t answer. _What date is it today?_ This has to be a joke, right? Belos having- a child of all things, it’s too absurd for words. But- Porter wasn’t known for going in without proper sources, and he was curious as to who it apparently was.

“I can’t say I’ve heard anything of the sort prior to just now, who exactly is our newly discovered princess.”

“It has been brought to our attention, that the long lost princess is none other than Luz Noceda, a _human_ who found her way into the isles a mere month prior.” He turns back to the camera. “This news, however, begs the question- did she really find her way into the isles on her own, or was this planned by our Emperor himself.

Bump stops paying attention to anything past the word Luz. 

_Luz_.

The owl lady’s protege, the girl interested in studying all magic tracks, the one he’d nearly expelled on one- two occasions? 

  
The Emperor’s daughter…

_He needs a drink._

\--

When Boscha heard of the news, she’d just come back from a day out in Bonesborough with her friends. 

No sooner had the girl entered her family’s mansion, had a voice called out from deeper within the massive structure’s bowels. With a sigh and a quick response of “Coming!” She’d shrugged off her jacket and made her way to where she knew her parents would be.

The living room, which was probably the most useless room in the entire house, and that included her dad’s billiards room. The last time the three of them had been in that room together for _any_ length of time Boscha was pretty sure had been when she’d still been in a high chair.

When she entered the room, her parents were both sat on the expensive leather sofa that they often boasted about so much. 

“Boscha, please take a seat.” Her father said, not even looking up from his newspaper. Her mother is watching her like a hawk as she walks over and plops herself down in one of the black recliners.

“You share classes with Luz Noceda, correct?” Her father says. Putting down his paper, Boscha looks confusedly into her father’s three eyes.

“Yeah, the round eared freak that hangs out with half-a-witch Willow, why?” Her eyes light up in excitement. “Please tell me she got expelled.”

_Wouldn’t that be hilarious?_ The human that had caused Amity Blight to go soft, kicked out of Hexside. Oh, how they’d laugh.

“No, she didn’t”. Is all her mother says.

“It’s been brought to my attention, that your relation with Amity has… deteriorated somewhat, is that correct?” Boscha stiffens at her father’s accusation.

“I- it’s not my fault she just decided to ditch us in favour of that- that human.”

From the way her parents’ expression clouds, she reckons that’s not the right thing to say.

“That just means that the Blight girl has, once again- picked up on something sooner than you have.” Boscha can’t hide the flinch at her father’s words. “You are to mingle with her to the best of your ability, I do not care if you have to grovel, you are going to make this Luz like you.” Her father says, looking to her mother, who nods in confirmation.

“B-but why?” 

“Because, Boscha, that _human_ is our Emperor’s daughter.”

\--

Gwen had been having a pretty easy day. It was Sunday, so she was about to close for the day. The joys of only having to work for half a day once a week. She needed only for those two weirdos in cloaks to pick a bottle and get out and she could start cleaning up.

She didn't even know why the two were so insistent on the whole “mysterious cloaked figure” schtick. She already knew that the two of them were wild witches. Had known from the moment they’d first stepped into her store a few days ago, actually, but whatever floats their boat, she supposes.

The scream of her bell alerts her to the fact that she’s got another customer, and she barely manages to hide the widening of her eyes when she sees none other than Principal Bump speed walking towards her.

“Well well well, if it isn’t good o-”

He slams his hand down on the counter, cutting her off and depositing what at first glance seems like a few hundred snails, and just says.

“Give me a bottle of your strongest stuff.”

Gwendolyn blinks.

The man looks, well he looks like his age is about to catch up to him, his eyes (were those even his?) darting around frantically, his hands clammy and beads of sweat dripping down his face.

She quirks an eyebrow, a lazy smile on her face. “You sure about that? Might not make it to retirement if your liver gives up on you.”

He brushes her off, scoffing at the concern. “Nonsense, my doctor said the same about my colon, and I’m still kicking. I find going to the toilet much easier now.”

“TMI.” She says, barely suppressing a shudder of disgust as she walks into the back room.

It’s lined wall to wall with slobbering, snarling demonic apple creatures. The cages rattle as she walks past the small ones to one of the cages sat on the floor.

These apple creatures that produced the isle’s apple blood came in a myriad of sizes. The small ones, only the size of honey melons, were the ones that provided the juice boxes most witches brought with them to school. She has four dozen of them lined on the walls.

These creatures have an interesting biology. As they grow, they seem to ferment, for lack of a better term. Their blood becomes more and more alcoholic as they age. The alcohol does affect the critters themselves, to a considerable effect. Problem is? They’re all angry drunks.

The watermelon sized ones on the ground are around the size where they become alcoholic. The room to her right has a few bigger ones, pumpkin sized at the smallest. The percentage in those was high enough that their blood actually burned. During the savage ages some warlords had actually used the technique to burn down villages.

But, that’s not what she’s looking for.

Stacked up against the far wall, are two even bigger ones, barely able to fit into a wheelbarrow, she reckons. Those were always a pain to drain. But she’s not there for them, either.

She places her hand on the wall, fingers splayed as she mutters a quick enchantment, breaking the illusion spell and revealing the door. A further two spells unlock it, and she steps into the cold dark room.

Instantly she hears gnashing against bars, and she sighs. This is going to be a pain. The massive creature was taller than her, easily the size of a small carriage. Getting a fire near this bastard would probably just erase the neighborhood. 

WIth how obnoxious her neighbors tend to be, she’s given it more than a passing thought.

  
He’d all but snatched the bottle out of her hands when she returned back with the vial of what essentially amounted to liquid death, downing the vial in a single go.

“What’s got you in such a tizzy, by the way?” She can’t help but ask. _Maybe they’d lost the grudgeby game to glandis again?_

“Well, I just found out that I almost expelled our emperor’s daughter… twice.”

She shrugs, noticing from the corner of her eye how the two “totally not suspicious looking” guys stiffen. “I suppose that comes with the whole “headmaster” thing, right?”  
  
And then the words finally fully hit home.

“Uh, Bump. I think old age might finally be catching up to you.” She says, digging a finger into her ear. _Had she gotten something stuck in there?_ “I could’ve sworn you just said something about ol’ tall and grumpy having a kid?”

“You didn’t mishear.” He sighs, burying his head in his hands. “Porter approached me about it about ten minutes ago, something about it being revealed at the last council of covens.”

She says nothing, well, she wants to say something but her mind is still stuck in what appears to be an infinite loop of _What the fuck?!_ Eventually however, after doing a stunning impression of a goldfish for about ten seconds, she finds her words again.

“Well, don’t leave me hanging here, who is it?” She can’t help but ask.

“Luz Noceda.” Bump says, before excusing himself to take his leave. From the way he stumbles out of her shop she reckons he’s gonna be having an especially crappy Monday. Well, it’s his own fault, she supposes.

_Luz Noceda…. Belos’ daughter._

“Heh, didn’t know he had it in him.” She chuckles. This is going to be a shitshow of biblical proportions, and it’s going to be something she is going to take full advantage of.

  
The thought makes her lose her composure for a bit, breaking off into a fit of giggles that has her clutching her sides.

She’s in the process of wiping a few mirthful tears from her eyes, when she notices two people standing in front of her.

“Can I help you?” She asks, they don’t say anything for a bit, seemingly content to just- stand there for a bit, acting as supposedly intimidating pieces of decór.

“Y’know, kinda rude to just- have your hood up whilst indoors.” She mutters, crossing her arms.

In unison, both reach for their hoods, pulling them up over their heads and revealing two identical faces, two pairs of tusks jutting out from thick lips, burning red eyes and buzz cuts.

_Great, the Grimsby twins, bastards are responsible for the deaths of at least twenty people in Bonesborough alone._ She can’t help but sigh, before shooting them a convincing- yet _very fake_ smile. “Thank you, now what can I help you with?”

“Did we hear that right?” The one she’s labelled twin number one says, and she can’t help but quirk an eyebrow.

“What, exactly?”

Number two seems to take offense to that, slamming a hand down on her nicely furnished countertop. “DON’T PLAY DUMB YOU BITCH, DID BUMP JUST SAY THAT BASTARD’S GOT A KID?!”

She merely quirks an eyebrow. “I just polished that countertop.” With a deep sigh, she turns to number one. “Next time he scuffs my shop, he’s losing a limb, just for clarity’s sake. And yes, apparently Belos has a daughter, why?”

Number two takes a step forward, but number one stops him before he can make a mistake he won’t live to regret. 

“I’d like to apologize for my brother’s behaviour, I am Jaco and this is Willis.”  
  
 _Jaco and Willis- yeah, she was gonna stick with one and two._

“Do you have any idea as to where this “Luz” might be?”  
  
She shrugs. “Kid usually hangs out in that little clearing two hills over after school, she’ll probably be there again tomorrow. Why?”  
  
“No reason.” The next thing she knows the thudding of what appears to be a _very_ heavy sack of snails is heard, as number one deposits a bag on her counter. “On an unrelated note, would it be possible to buy one of those apple creatures?”  
  
She snatches the bag off of the table, weighing it in her hand, before a smirk passes over her lips.

“I don’t see why that can’t be arranged.

\--

  
  


The following day.

Breakfasts in the Blight household were usually a quiet occurrence. The servants would have breakfast on the table at 8. Amity usually woke up first, eating alone before heading off to school, the twins woke up, ate, and headed off to school together, usually about ten minutes after Amity left.

Usually it wasn’t until half an hour after the children were out of the house that Alador and Odalia would head down to break their own fast.

Alador had gotten up earlier, and when Odalia had come down for breakfast, he’d already finished his coffee and eaten his toast, face buried in the newspaper as Odalia took a seat and buttered a few scones.

He’d been reading some quite interesting articles about a stock increase in furs because the woods around the pelvis were becoming less safe, when she’d spoken up.

“So, how was the council meeting yesterday?”  
  
He takes a bit to respond, mostly because he spends those few seconds wiping the grin off of his face, before neatly folding up the newspaper and looking at his wife.

“It was, well, quite interesting.” He knows she doesn’t know about the human yet. She’d come home late yesterday and hadn’t mentioned it at all.

“Well?” She says, after a few seconds.

“Did you notice anything about Amity, lately?”

She scoffs. “Besides that shameful display at the Covention? Absolutely pitiful, the nerve of that Clawthorne wench. Though, I suppose it's only fitting she’s been discharged from her position in the Emperor’s Coven, she never was a good fit for such an important position, I mean look at her family, her sister’s the most wanted criminal on the isles.” 

“Was.” he mutters, and the glare she shoots him has him rolling his eyes, he pours himself another mug of coffee, taking a sip before replying.

“I didn’t mean her school, dear. I meant her social life.”  
  
That makes Odalia frown. “Cithara _did_ mention that Amity has been rather… distant from Boscha lately, why?”

“Well.” He says. “I know from a reliable source, that our youngest daughter has developed a crush.”  
  
Odalia groans. “Why doesn’t she just listen? None of the rabble in her year is good enough, Hexside itself is going down hill if you ask me. Letting a _human_ into the school is disgraceful.” The derision in her voice at the mention of the “human” makes Alador’s lips inadvertently quirk up.

“Well, who is he? The commoner our daughter has decided to make a fool out of us with.”

“She.” Alador corrects her gently.

Odalia goes very, very, _very_ stil, and Alador’s able to count the veins in her forehead pop up one by one as she goes _purple._  
  
 _3… 2… 1…_

“What.” She all but growls. “I thought we’d talked her out of those, those vile delusions when she first came to us with that “I like girls” stuff. How _dare_ she drag our good name through the mud. Last time you talked me out of sending her to that therapist, but this time I am going to- which girl has she decided to mock us with, is it that Park girl?”

“No, from what I have been able to gather. The huma-”

“THE HUMAN?! I AM GOING TO HAVE HER DISOWNED, HOW DARE SHE, AFTER ALL WE DID FOR HER, SHE GOES OFF AND- A HUMAN?”

He can practically see the steam coming out of her ears, and thinks to himself that this tirade has gone on long enough. So, he places a hand over his wife’s. She looks at him, thunder in her eyes and he has to fight back a flinch.

He suddenly remembers why he doesn’t win arguments against her, Odalia is absolutely _terrifying_ when angry. And he’s about to make her even madder.

He wonders, for a few seconds, if he’s made the right call- before remembering that not telling her now will lead to his daughter getting disowned.

“Dear, calm yourself. Something interesting came up at the council yesterday.”  
  
She growls, actually growls at him, and he pulls his hand back before she can take a bite out of him. “Honey I’d love to know what you and that bunch of old fa-

“Apparently, our esteemed Emperor has an heir.” He says, and Odalia _stares_ at him for a few seconds, mouth agape and eyes bulging.

“What?”  
  
He nods. “It was quite the shock, but Belos himself informed us of the fact that, there is someone of his blood in the isles, a child no less. Hidden in plain view, if you would”

He can see the gears turning in his wife’s head, and knowing her as long as he has, he can with a 90% certainty guess the next thing she’s going to ask.

“How old?”

_Bingo._

“Fourteen years old, why?”  
  
She waves him off, suddenly the very picture of self confident smugness. “And this is why you aren’t in charge of the household, this is perfect. Don’t you see? Amity is to cut off contact with this- this _human_ and ignore those vile urges, if we can get her to seduce this heir we might be able to ascend into the royal family. Do I perchance know this child of Belos’? She asks.

“Yes.” He says, taking another sip of his coffee. “You spoke about the child quite recently, my dear. Our esteemed Emperor’s child goes by the name of Luz Noceda.”  
  
He watches as his wife rests her chin on her entwined hands, eyebrows scrunched deep in thought as she seems to be trying to recall the name. It takes about a minute before he sees her connect the dots.

Her eyes go wide, and she jumps up from the table, startling a maid as she yells out.  
  
“THE HUMAN?”

“The human _girl_ , yes.” He says, looking at his wife’s dumbstruck expression. “It seems our daughter was a few steps ahead of us when it comes to that, don’t you think?”  
  
Odalia slowly sinks down into her chair, looking as if she’s just seen Blight manor burn to the ground. Her hands come up, rubbing circles on her temple as she stares in mortified shock at the Ramsberry jam scones on the expensive marble plate.

“B-but.” She begins, before falling silent again, and Alador is _really_ fighting back a laugh that will no doubt mean him sleeping on the couch for the coming month.

“She-” Odalia turns pale, flushes green for a bit, before turning white as a ghost again.

And then she stands up.

_Well, there goes her four hundred year old family heirloom._ Alador muses, watching the plate sail through the air. It shatters against the wall, the scones slowly sliding down, leaving trails of purple-red as they slowly join the shards of marble.

“I’ll be in my study.” She manages to growl out through gritted teeth.

He’s silent as she storms off, he’s silent as he hears her storm up the stairs. He hears the door to her study slam shut and he can faintly hear the incensed _roar_ from upstairs, followed by the rinkling of breaking glass.

And he just doubled over laughing. He’s barely able to keep himself seated, grabbing onto the table as if his life depends on it as he cackles till his sides hurt and his lungs ache. He spends another ten minutes descending into fits of giggles every time his mind wanders back to the expressions his wife had made.

“Uh, sir.” He freezes, side eying the maid he hadn’t even heard enter the room. With a quick cough and a straightening of his shirt, he looks at her. _He’d been so lost in his mirth that he hadn’t even noticed her enter._

“Yes, what is it?” He manages, flashing her a smile that he hopes is reassuring.

“A-are you okay?”  
  
He blinks, before waving the maid off. “Yes yes, I am fine, thank you for your concern.”  
  
“Very well. I cleaned up the scones- and the plates. Shall I take my leave?”  
  
“Yes, you are free to take your leave.” He freezes however, just as she’s about to walk through the door. “Adalind, could you please come here.” The maid goes stiff as a board, walking up to him with fear in her eyes.  
  
He fishes out a small pouch of snails, depositing it in the maid’s hand.  
  
“Don’t tell my wife.”

\--

Luz had, despite everything, been quite excited for school. Especially now that she wasn’t at the castle anymore, but back at the Owl House.

She’d gotten up early, as she usually did, gotten ready, ate some breakfast and packed her books, depositing her spare glyphs from her escape from Belos' castle that saturday in a cabinet. She wouldn’t want to grab her bag for lunch and accidentally blow up a classroom. 

All in all, today was gonna be a good day.

That was, until she actually got to school. Eda had barely flown off, before she saw Boscha walking towards her.

She sighed. _Well, at least it’ll be over with soon_. Though, Boscha did look, apprehensive? Her thumbs were twiddled, her face was pale and she was looking back and forth frantically.

“Hey.” She said, once there was only a measly ten feet between them.

“Hey?” Luz said back confusedly. _Was there something wrong?_

She didn’t immediately respond, kicking at the dirt for a bit before, after taking a deep breath and looking at Luz.

Boscha opened her mouth, and by now the triclopean girl was _shaking._ “L-look Luz, I- I just wanted to let you know, I’m sorry, and I’ll never bother you or your friends again, p- please don’t be mad at me?”

Luz blinked, the bully was absolutely terrified. What had happened?  
  


“Okaayyy?” She said, unsure of what else to say. And a blinding smile passes over the pink haired girl’s face.

“Thank you, your highness.” She says, taking a bow before running off again.

Luz’ mind freezes.

_Your_ **_highness?_ **

\--

Luz was _barely_ keeping it together. 

Everywhere she went, people just- they looked at her like they were scared. Everyone was polite, the teachers constantly checked up on her, everyone gave her a wide berth at school or addressed her with “your highness” as she walked past them.

Every time she heard the words, she wanted to curl into a ball and _cry._ After two hours and Willow finding the girl hyperventilating in the toilets, she and Amity had begun running interference. All the while, Gus kept prying her for information about humans and things to that extent. 

Even with the fact that she had three people currently trying to help her, the sights before her made her want to just- crawl into a hole somewhere.

The looks, the distance, the murmurs when they thought she wasn’t able to hear them.

It was like she was back home, like she was back to being Luz the weirdo, Luz the outcast.

She _hated_ it.

Gus had filled her in, had explained that apparently on Sunday, the Emperor had called together the covens and revealed the truth of her parentage. The thought itself makes her sick. Now _everyone_ on the isles knew that she was his daughter.

Nobody would ever look at her the same.

That thought- that realisation, is enough to drive her to tears. Luckily nobody’s around but her friends and school’s almost out.

Amity and Willow discreetly escort her out to the grudgeby field.

“I- I hate this.” Is all she manages to choke out, one the two of them deposit her on the bleachers. Willow rubs her shoulders as she sobs into her hands.

“We’re here for you Luz.” Amity tries, and Luz shoots her a tear filled smile before breaking back down. Gus excuses himself, saying he’s gonna just file them absent for the day.

“Why would he do this?” She asks, and the two witches exchange a look before Willow speaks up.

“Maybe he wanted to, to tell people?” Luz scoffs. “I really doubt that, it’s just like back home, everyone’s looking at me like- like I’m some sort of freak.” 

“That’s not true, you know it’s not Luz.” Amity says.

“Yeah, you’re right.” She scoffs. “They’re _scared_. They think just because my father’s the Emperor that I’m just gonna call him down on them or something. Like I’m suddenly gonna be the stuck up princess that always gets what she wants with a snap of her fingers.” She lets out a broken laugh. “Either that, or they treat me like I’m made of glass, like the lightest touch is going to break me, they pamper me and try to stay in my “good graces” whatever that means.”

Any hope of just being Luz has just been thrown out the window- had its kneecaps broken and was shot afterwards. All because that idiot in the castle needed to what- act like a proud father or something?

_The next time Luz sees him, she is going to_ **_kick his ass._ **

She stands up, drawing identical gasps of “Luz” from the witches sitting on either side of her as she storms off down the bleachers.

“Luz, where are you going?” Amity calls out, Luz turns to her a bit. “You guys head back, I- I’ve just gotta clear my head for a bit.”

Amity moves off to follow the brunette, but a hand closes around her wrist, yanking her back.

“Willow, let go of me, we gotta go after her.” The plant witch shakes her head. “Just- give her some space?”

Amity looks at the plant witch like she’s gone insane. “Willow, what are you talking about? She nearly broke down _thrice_ today. Don’t you think it’s a little dumb just, letting her go like this?”

Willow sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “She’s scared people are gonna treat her differently, she asked us to just let her be for a bit. Let’s just respect that wish of hers, alright?”

Amity wants to argue, but Willow’s right. Luz needs some space right now and going after her is probably not the best call.  
  


_She still doesn’t like it._

\--

Luz finds herself wandering around Bonesborough half an hour later. To her disappointment, the news seems to have spread here, too.

People look at her, some _bow,_ to her abject horror, and even more try to keep as far away from her as possible. 

She tries to buy a drink from a nearby stall, and she has to sneak the snails into the register when the shop owner all but thrusts the juice box into her hand, with a forced smile and a chipper “it’s on the house.”

She’s sat on the fountain, hugging her knees and sipping away at the juice box, when suddenly someone sits down next to her.

She looks up, finding a pair of amused light blue eyes looking down at her.

“So, I heard you’re royalty now?” Gwen says, leaning down against the fountain.

With a sigh, she puts down the juice box, hugging her knees tighter. “You gonna treat me differently too now?”

To her surprise, Gwendolyn scoffs, before running a hand through her hair. “If anything’s gonna make me treat you differently, it’s _this._ ” Gwendolyn picks up the mostly empty juice box. “I mean seriously kid, talk about consumer loyalty, Garthin stuffs those boxes of his full with so many potions I’m surprised nobody’s died yet.

Luz lets out a giggle. Before her expression becomes a bit guarded again.

“You really mean it?” Gwen shrugs in response. “Kid, nothing’s changed for me, just because you’re the masked man’s kid doesn’t change anything.”

“I- I honestly don’t get it? Everyone treats me like I’m either made of glass, or about to shoot them, it’s infuriating.” she rants. Gwendolyn hums along for a bit, taking out a knife and cleaning her nails with it.

“It sounds like you need to let off some steam, wanna head out to the clearing? I’ve got nothing better to do anyways.”

The girl nods, managing a slight smile, before standing up. “Wanna go right now?”  
  
“Sure.” Gwen says, standing up. Luz walks off, and Gwen follows right after.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, the raven haired witch spots two massive cloaked figures, carrying a box between the two of them.

They’re looking at her.  
  
She nods.

\--

The kid apparently _really_ needed to let off some steam, Gwendolyn observed.

First thing she’d done was incinerate a pile of helpless leaves, freezing the fire afterwards before it could become a problem. Next she’d summoned forth a stick, and was currently using it to beat an innocent shrub into submission.

Gwen took the time to observe the human.

She really looked _nothing_ like Belos.

The way she spoke, the way she acted, the way she just- there was _no_ resemblance as far as she could tell. And yet, the girl herself had confirmed it. She _was_ apparently the Emperor’s kid.

That was going to complicate her- well, _everything_.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she spots movement in the treeline. Two masked figures.

She takes one last look at the girl, before standing up off the rock she’d been sitting on with a sigh, placing the silver knife she’d been using to clean her nails in its sheath.

_A job is a job._ She thinks, before calling out to the teenager.

“Hey kid, I’ll be right back, gotta get something from town. Mind waiting here for a bit.”  
  
Luz looks up from where she’s all but de-leafed the shrub just long enough to nod at her, before resuming her bushwhacking.

_Heh._

Gwendolyn takes one last look at the girl before leaving the clearing.

\--

“She’s gone.”  
  
“Alright, now what?”  
  
“Really, didn’t ‘ya listen to a word I said?”  
  
“I did, I- I just forgot.”

Jaco can’t help but facepalm, before sighing and looking at his brother again.

“Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen.” He kicks the covered box between them, resulting in a cacophony of screeching to cry out from within it. “We uncover this ‘ere box, then we get it to notice her, then we open the box. The thing will rip her apart.”  
  
An ugly smirk passes over Willis’ face, and the two of them share an ugly laugh. The thought of getting revenge on that bastard Belos for labelling them “wild” witches and making them fugitives is too good a prospect to stay mad for long.

“Let’s just hope this thing works well enough, cost us three thousand snails.” Willis grumbles. Jaco cuts him off with a bark of laughter.

“Wha? You think I’m gonna let her get away with threatening you? After we’re done here, we’ll go right back to Bonesborough and kill her. Get our money back too.”  
  
The smirk on Willis’ face turns into a pure demonic one. “This is why you’re the smart one.” They both share another chuckle, before turning back to the box.

“So, who’s gonna do it?” He asks.  
  
“Well, you said _I’m_ the smart one Willis, and the smart one makes the plans. I say you do it.”  
  
Willis grumbles, before sighing and carefully lifting the fabric up off of the cage.

Instantly it notices them, slamming itself against the bars as it tries to get to them, legs scraping against wood as a maw filled with thousands of teeth gnashes at them.

“How’re we gonna get it to notice her?” Willis asks.

Jaco spots a small pile of rocks. “With those.” He says, scooping them up.

“What’re you planning?” Willis asks as Jaco deposits half the pile in his hands.

“Watch this.” He grabs a rock, tossing it up and down in his hand a few times before chucking it over the cage in the direction of the Emperor’s spawn.

The critter follows it, before turning back to them.

“It didn’t work.” Willis says.

“Shut up and throw.” Jaco growls, throwing another rock. This time, when the critter follows, its eyes seem to notice the girl beating the shrub with terrifying intensity. It turns back towards them again, this time slower, though.

It happens a few more times. The last time the creature doesn’t turn back to them, fully intent on ripping the girl in the distance apart. 

It’s then, that Willis realizes something.  
  
“Uhh, Jaco, the lock’s still pointed our way.”  
  
“Fuck.” Jaco groans smacking his forehead with his hand, he reaches into a pocket, fishing out the key. 

  
“Okay, we’re gonna sneak over there, slowly, and after I unlock the cage, we’ll shift it around. With the amount of bashing that thing’s doing, it’ll jump out soon enough. Sound good?”

“Aight.”  
  
And so, the two of them sneak up, slowly, ever so slowly, careful not to make any sound.

They reach the cage without it noticing them. Thankfully, Jaco moves the key into the lock, glaring down at the girl in the clearing.

“Soon your daddy’s gonna know what it’s like to lose everything.” He can’t help but growl vindictively.

The key turns-

A flash of silver streaks through the sky, shattering the lock and burying itself in the dirt.

With a startled yelp the two brothers jump back, landing on their asses as they look at the dagger.

“What the fu-” Willis says, before Jaco slams his hands over his brother’s mouth.

Slowly, the cage shifts, as the creature inside turns around. The lock shattered on the ground and the cage unlocked.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the cage door opens, a creaking sound accompanying it that drives a spear of ice into their hearts.

A thousand eyes lock onto them, the moment the cage fully opens.

\--

_Run, hide, get away._  
  
He can’t run, not with a missing leg.

_Hide, get away._  
  
Hiding won't do him any good, it’ll smell him.

_Get away._  
  
That’s what he’s trying, but it’s getting harder and harder, with the blood loss and all.

Willis can’t help but growl furiously as he catches himself on a tree, trying to catch his breath after hopping a few hundred meters into the woods.

_At least he can’t hear the screams anymore._

The thing had only been the size of a watermelon, yet it had bitten his leg clean in half at the knee.  
  


Jaco had tried to intervene… It hadn’t gone well. The last he recalls were his brother’s panicked and agony ridden words.

“RUN, HIDE, GET AWAY!”   
  
After that it had only been screams, screams and sounds no man should ever hear. The crunching of bone, the sounds of flesh being torn from flesh and the painful sobbing and pleading for mercy even when knowing you’d get none.  
  
“I’m trying brother, I’m trying.” He says, sliding down against the tree. The world’s going fuzzy. He knows he’s got to get help quick, or he’s a goner, but he’s in the middle of the woods.  
  
Suddenly, out of the shadows a figure steps into the light. He tries to get up, tries to make sure he’ll at least go down fighting, but he can't find the strength.

“I’m sorry brother.” Is all he says, as he recognises who the masked figure is.

The emperor’s shade. He’s heard the horror stories, he knows what this creature in front of him is capable of. He’s fucked.

A hand appears from within the cloak, and he stiffens, watching as it reaches up and up towards the owl mask.

His jaw drops.  
  
“You, you threw that knife,” He growls.

“Yup, me.” Gwendolyn responds, a lazy smirk on her lips. She looks at his leg, letting out a low whistle. “Man I’m even more impressed now that they found _anything_ of Gary. That thing messed you up.”  
  
“You, you bitch, I’ll fucking kill you-” He says, lunging for her. He doesn’t reach, falling into the dirt before the assassin.  
  
“Need a hand?” She says, before adding in a dry tone. “I’d suppose a leg would be handier.”  
  
“Shut the fuck up!” He roars, tears in his eyes. 

“Okay.”

He blinks, looking up at the woman in confusion.

She’s got two fingers in her mouth.

  
He holds out a hand.  
  
“Please, wait no-”

A shrill whistle echoes throughout the forest. 

In the distance, he can hear the skittering of many legs approach. He looks at the woman in the white cloak, using the adrenaline from hearing death approach to drag himself up to his knees.

“Please, please don’t, I’m begging you.” He says, meeting her eyes.  
  
There’s no mercy to be found anywhere in them. She shoots him a sly wink, before her foot lashes out, knocking him backwards against the tree.

All he can do is whimper.

“If it’s any consolation.” The shade says, “This is a quicker death than Belos would have given you.” She breaks off into a chuckle, stepping back and fading into the shadows.

Willis lays there, terrified, for a few moments. He’s already emptied his bowels, and he can see the blood from his leg turn the ground to mud.  
  
 _Maybe he can still make it?_ _  
_  
He looks to his right, and he spots Bonesborough in the distance.

_Maybe, just maybe._

He looks to his left.  
  
All he sees is teeth and a drooling maw.

\--  
  
Luz is beginning to feel sorry for the bush at this point, she’s been beating at it for a good ten minutes now. With a sigh she throws down the stick.

She so wishes Gwendolyn was back.

As if she’d heard the girl’s thoughts. Gwendolyn steps back into the clearing.

“Hey kid, sorry to ask, but I’ve got some heavy lifting that needs doing, you reckon you can help me?”

Luz stills for a moment, before nodding eagerly.

“Yeah sure, I’m coming!” She grabs her bag and rushes off to meet Gwendolyn, the two of them taking off back towards town.

“What were you doing in town anyways?” She asks, after a bit.

Gwen shrugs.

“Forgot to feed the critters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, that's a wrap as far as chapter 12's concerned.
> 
> I fucking love Gwendolyn, that is all.
> 
> Please leave a comment as to what you thought.


	13. Assassins and bar fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the first Gwendolyn centric chapter, I wanted some of these earlier but I needed to reveal her first
> 
> But now that it's out of the way, I can go all out with her.
> 
> As per usual, shoutout to [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) for the awesome editing job

“My liège?”

“...”  
  
“My liège?”   
  
“What is it, Kikimora?” Belos said with a sigh, turning away from the various documents to look at his head of staff and right hand woman sat beside him.

In all his years, he’d faced things that would scar lesser beings for life, had looked into abyss after abyss and dared it to look back, and had led his armies throughout countless battles without pause or mercy.

Currently, sat at the council table in the bowels of the castle, he was fighting a battle unlike any he had faced before- a losing battle, no less.

Mainly between him and his ever growing urge to hunt down each and every single person that had a connection to the people who had written him these, these _things._

The inquiries as to the newfound princess’ legitimacy were easy, only needing a quick affirmation sent in reply.

The threats were expected, though thoroughly infuriating. He made a quick mental note to have the Shade look in these people and… Deal with them accordingly.

Those he could deal with, those he had expected.

The _proposals,_ however?

He took one look at the infuriatingly massive pile of papers before him, and had half a mind to just incinerate the whole lot.

He’d denied at least four dozen already, and he guessed there were at least three dozen more to sort through.

Cirin had all but shoved her eldest at him, and, whilst he enjoyed Cirin’s presence, he’d rather jump into the boiling seas than allow _that_ union.

The leader of the plant coven was one of the oldest, and most would argue the most beautiful of the council members, a refined satyr with a crown of flowers alway braided throughout her hair and up the spiralling horns atop her head. It was no wonder why people often said that she truly was a “rose” of the isles.

Her son was nothing but a thorn. Arrogant, conceited, stuck-up, everything Belos wouldn’t even allow within fifty feet of his daughter if he had a say about it.

But, that was for later. 

Right now he was waiting for Kikimora to tell him whatever it was she’d disturbed him for.

“The shade has returned.”

The words have barely left her mouth before the doors fly open, and the familiar masked form steps into the room, coming to a halt besides the two others.

“I see you finally saw fit to join us once again?” Kikimora asks, and Belos can’t help but sigh at the hostile tone. The two of them have never really gotten along.

Surprisingly, no response is said, instead the shade merely grabs the front of their mask, taking it off to reveal...

“Ah, what a surprise.” Kikimora deadpans. “A shadow clone.” Where the shade’s face should be, there is an imitation that looks to have been poured from ink, swirling liquid forming the contours of a feminine face as a mimicry of hair pours down across the ghastly visage.

“She doesn’t even have the common curtsey to show up in person, the ne-”  
  
“Y’know I can hear you through this clone, right?” A voice calls out, cutting off Kikimora.

Both of them turn to the hooded figure standing between them, watching as it begins to… _change._

Colours begin to swirl within the inky mass. The murky liquid that makes up the shade’s face solidifies into pale skin. The curtains of pouring darkness curl into hair much of the same pigment. The eyes- formerly pure black, close once, and when they open again, a pair of pale blue eyes is looking at them.

“I’ll never get used to teleporting like that.” Gwendolyn mutters with a slight shudder, taking a seat opposite Kikimora on the other side of the Emperor’s side, absentmindedly twirling a knife between her fingers.

“Must you always arrive with such unnecessary theatrics, Gwendolyn?” Kikimora sighs.

“Ah, always a pain in my backside Kikimora, tell me. Did someone mistake you for an infant again?, I remember last time you got a lollipop, what’d they give you-”

“They gave me nothing, dear Gwendolyn. Pray tell me. How’s the scar?” Kikimora shoots back. The raven haired witch recoils, hand flying into her hair, before a growl escapes her lips.

Belos knows there’s a good 80% chance Gwendolyn is going to leap across the table at Kiki if he doesn’t intervene, so he opts to prevent any bloodshed.

  
“Gwendolyn, why are you here?” That seems to snap her out of her anger, instead opting to give him a mock hurt look.

She places a hand over her heart. “And here I thought you missed my sparkling conversation skills? I mean I guess you _could_ talk to that clone. Wouldn’t recommend it, I tried too, but it’s always “My purpose is to obey, I serve you, etc. etc.” Not the most interesting dialogue partner.”   
  
Belos’ eye roll is almost palpable.

“You still didn’t answer my question.” He mutters turning to the raven haired witch that is regarding him with an air of- amusement?  
  


“So, you got a kid huh?” He sighs, but nods. “I gotta say, she is _nothing_ like you, it’s kinda polarizing honestly.”

“How would you know?” He inquired.

“Huh?”  
  
“As I recall, your mission was to protect and observe, not interact.” Kikimora says. The raven haired woman stiffens at the subtle accusation, before rolling her eyes again.

“I did just that, sent my shade after her, not my fault she barged into my shop.” Gwendolyn explains.  
  
“Ah yes, your “shop” Tell me how is that gross misuse of the royal treasury holding up?” Kikimora “asks” and Gwendolyn actually growls at the red demoness before digging into her pocket and pulling out…

A bag?  
  
She tosses it onto the table right in front of Kikimora, and the sound it makes indicates money. Kikimora takes a peek into the bag. “Where did you get this?”   
  
“My “useless” shop sells something basically everyone in the isles wants, and I’ve made it my business to let people know I don't care all that much who you are, as long as you pay. After a while, the less upstanding members of society come flocking.” She points at the bag.

“That there, I got from the Grimsby brothers, you know the two that attacked the convoy a few months ago.”

“They killed five of our men doing so.” Kikimora growls, putting down the bag with more force than necessary. “Did you steal it from them?”

“Nope.”  
  
“Well, how’d you get this then?”   
  
“They paid for one of those apple critters.” Gwen explained, giving her knife another twirl.

“Why?”  
  
“To use on the princess.”

“ **_What._ ** _”_ Belos thunders, standing up and shooting a glare that promises a painful death to Gwendolyn if she doesn’t answer him soon.   
  
“What? They’re both dead. Killed ‘em a few hours ago.”   
  
“You allowed them to buy something, with the purpose of harming my _daughter?!”_ Belos says, voice dangerously monotone.

“I also gave them the location she’d be in earlier today, you know that little clearing a few hills over from Bonesborough.”  
  
Belos’ eyes light up a bright blue as he extends a hand toward the assassin. It burns with red magicks.

“You purposefully endangered my child?” He growls out, and Gwendolyn lets out a sigh before meeting his gaze with her own, equally cold one.

“Listen, they wanted to go after your kid, because _you_ decided to just- what? Throw the fact that there’s someone with your blood just running around into the open?!” Belos cannot help but flinch at that. _“I_ gave them a time, _I_ gave them a place, _I_ made sure that _I_ was there to intercept them. Otherwise I might not have been able to intervene.” She bites back with an equally dangerous tone.

“I… see.” Belos mutters, seating himself again, head in his hands. “Did she see anything?”  
  
“Nothing. She didn’t even hear the screams.” Gwen admits.

“Good, that- that’s good.” Belos says, letting out a sigh of relief. “Tell me more, how’d you come to interact with my daughter?”

“She just came in one day, wanted to buy some stuff. Two days later she’d apparently pulled a prank on one of her fellow students, kid seemed really upset about something.” She shoots him a knowing glance. “Felt sorry for her, so I brought up this quiet little clearing where nobody would notice if she… let off some steam. One thing led to another and I gotta say, she’s a ray of sunshine if ever there was one.” She actually giggles at that. “Brought her friends too, Willow’s really polite, Gus is just adorable and Amity’s well… Amity’s so unlike her parents it’s absolutely ridiculous.”  
  
The corners of his mouth quirk up into a smile as he momentarily succumbs to just being a father proud about his child making friends, before it sets back into a frown with the realization of an unexpected complication.

“Kikimora.” He says, turning to his right hand and advisor. “I want you to do something for me. Head to Bonesborough, double the patrols. I do not want something like this to be able to happen again.”

She frowns, but doesn’t object. Leaving the room with a quick “Of course, my liege.”

Once the doors shut behind her, he lets out a sigh that seems to deflate his very being. Not even two days and already an assassination attempt on his little light. The thought itself sickens him to his core.

“How was she doing?” He asks, after a while, and Gwen shoots him a _look._

“What do you _think_?”

The bite in her tone surprises him somewhat, but he doesn’t comment, instead letting out another sigh before answering. “I understand if it was all a bit… Sudden-”

He doesn’t get to finish, Gwendolyn cutting him off.

“Damn right it was sudden, you should have at least discussed it with her first before pulling something like that.”

  
“Look, if the information had gotten out otherwise she would’ve been without anyone to back her up. This way she has a safety blanket, people who will want to protect her, people who will report anything suspicious, it was the best course of action.”   
  
Gwendolyn pinches the bridge of her nose in response. “You put an army at her back and painted a target on her head, do you have any idea as to how things are gonna change for her now? You just flipped her whole life upside down with this choice, and she had _no_ say in it whatsoever, you made the _logical_ choice, not the best one.”

He frowned. “I don’t quite follow.”

She sighs. “Remember the kids I mentioned earlier? They’re her best friends… ever.”

“And?”

“She’s only been here a month. She’s _fourteen.”_

_Oh._

Gwendolyn begins spinning with the knife again, looking at it intensely as she talks.

“The kid’s good, I gotta hand it to her, but I notice. Whenever she brings up “back home” her smiles get a little… fragile, her laugh becomes a bit more forced. She talks about it- on occasion, though usually she brushes it off with a comment or something to that extent, but man if she isn’t one of the loneliest kids I’ve ever seen.” She stabs the armrest of her chair with the knife, frustration clearly etched across her face. 

“The kid’s had basically nobody but her mother for fourteen years.”

He flinches at that, and when he gazes back to the raven haired woman, the look she shoots him would probably have killed lesser men.

“And you just put her in that same situation again.” Belos’ blood freezes, preventing him from saying anything in return, and she takes the opportunity to really twist the knife.

“She’s never gonna be just “Luz Noceda” anymore, she’s always gonna be treated as your kid, and that means she’s always gonna be treated differently, not fitting in- an outcast. Sure people aren’t gonna bully her anymore, but still.”

_He just wished the titan would rise and smite him in that moment._ He gazes back to the pile of proposals laid on the table in front of him. He grabs one, sighing as he rips it in twain before burying his head in his hands again.

“What’re those, by the way?” Gwendolyn asks, pointing at the stack of papers in front of him. Wordlessly he hands her one, before going back to lamenting about how big a mistake he’s made.

The bark of laughter that follows does not set his nerves at ease, nor does the sound of tearing paper. He looks back, frowning as he sees her tearing the proposal into itty bitty pieces.

She gives him a shit-eating grin, she knows something he doesn’t. With an unnecessary twirl she chucks the confetti into the air, using it as makeshift confetti.

“Hey, might as well get _some_ use out of these.”   
  
_He’s really not in the mood for more of these games._

“Spit it out, Gwendolyn.”

“Amity Blight.”

He freezes.

_Oh no._

“Do you mean that the youngest Blight girl likes my daughter?”  
  
Gwen nods. “You’re officially the second to last person to know, but yeah, it’s actually kinda.. Hilariously obvious. She gets all blushy and- oh my god the stuttering, it’s absolutely adorable.” He quickly suppressed the fact that Gwendolyn is actually _gushing_ about something, in favour of something else.

“And do you think that there might be a possibility of something coming out of that?”

She nods. “Definitely, kid’s about as oblivious as you are, but she’s catching on- slowly, _really_ slowly, but yeah.”

Well, he supposes that’s one problem less. Though it still concerns him, the Blight family- more specifically, Odalia- have always been obsessive about status. It wouldn’t surprise him if they tried to worm themselves into his good graces because of this development.

“Are you sure Odalia’s got nothing to do with this?” He asks.

She just laughs in response. “Oh, definitely not. Odalia _did_ find out about all of this earlier today though.” She lets out a low whistle. “Was _not_ happy about it. But, as we both know, she’s too obsessed with her family’s standing.”

“And you know this… how?”  
  
Gwen shrugs. “I have my sources.”   
  
He shoots her a look.

She rolls her eyes. “I’ve got a few of the maids on my payroll, same as with all other noble families, easiest way to get information.”

He nods, and then with a voice that almost manages to hide the barest of trembles, he says. 

“I suppose you’d like the full story.”

  
She nods.

It’s about an hour, maybe two, later when he finishes, and Gwendolyn is speechless. She reaches out a hand, intent on clasping him on the shoulder, but refrains at the last second. 

“I uh, I should probably head back.” She says, cursing herself mentally for not knowing what to say.

“Well then, head back into town.” He says, snapping his fingers and reducing the pile of proposals into ash with a satisfying _woosh_.

“Alright.” With that Gwen pulls her hood back over her head, puts her mask back on and moves out of the room. Belos’ voice stops her just as she moves to push open the massive doors.

“Thank you, for keeping her safe.”

“It’s my job. Besides, I’ve grown to quite like the kid. She’s a lot more fun to hang around with than you are, _that’s_ for sure.”

With that she pushes through the doors, stepping out of the room.

\--

Back in Bonesborough, Gwendolyn plops down on her bed the moment she teleports back into her humble apartment.

It’s small, cozy and right above her shop. Perfect for someone like her, who preferred to have some place to retreat to, a place to just- be alone.

Well, she’s not _quite_ alone. A small weight deposits itself on her stomach, and she looks up with a lazy smile, Shadow’s made himself comfortable on his favourite pillow, her. She brings up a hand, giving the kitten sized jaguar a scratch under the chin before putting it back under her head. She simply lays there for a bit, looking at the ceiling, as she processes everything.

Her shadow clone’s making sure the kid’s alright. In the back of her mind she can see what it sees. The benefits of forbidden magic, she supposes. Allows her to be in multiple places at once.

Heading over to the emperor’s castle had probably been a good call. It had also put things into perspective for her.

Belos definitely was’t handling everything as well as he would’ve liked. And, even though she _loves_ giving him shit sometimes, she’s worried. 

She supposes it’s a testament to his mental fortitude. Going through all that would have broken weaker men. Then again, she’s only heard him tell of what exactly the titan was, and that had been enough to give _her_ nightmares. And he’s experienced it first hand, so she shouldn’t be all that surprised.

She’s still plenty annoyed at him, because _damn her,_ she’s grown fond of the kid, and seeing her like that wasn’t something she liked seeing. 

She supposes the logic behind Belos’ actions is sound. Even _she_ cannot protect the girl at all times. 

Still makes her want to smack him, because damn it, she _knows_ what it’s like to go through that. To have every decision made for you and be the last to know. It sucks, and it makes you feel like you don’t matter an-

She stops herself before she can go on, before her mind wanders too far. There’s some dark thoughts that way and she’s not in the mood to revisit them anytime soon, or _ever_.

So, she just hopes Luz gives him a piece of her mind, when they finally meet, and leaves it at that, her eyes fluttering shut.

When she comes to, it's night, and the sky is pitch black outside.

Her stomach decides to growl unhelpfully at that very moment. She takes a look out the window, sighing when she spots the bird’s nest in the corner empty.

She shoots an accusing glare at Shadow. She just _knows_ that her familiar has something to do with that particular disappearance. The fact it refuses to meet her gaze cements that fact even further.

“Well, there goes that snack.” She sighs, pushing herself up. Shadow grumbles a bit as she finds her sleeping spot disturbed, but Gwen just scoops her up and places the disgruntled feline in the queen sized bed.

It hisses at her, no doubt offended at her daring to move just when the kitty had gotten comfy, but she just rolls her eyes, stepping into the living room/kitchen. 

She looks in the cupboard, sighing when she finds nothing to eat besides cat food. The fridge brooks very similar results. She takes a swig of a half-empty jar of apple blood. It’s the strong stuff- the _really strong_ stuff she finds- it burns as it pours down her gullet and she, by pure force of will, stops herself from coughing her lungs up.

She quickly puts down a bowl of food for Shadow, before taking another look at the fridge.

“Well, guess I’m eating out tonight.” She mutters, slamming the fridge shut. She takes a quick look at herself in the mirror tucked away in the corner.

Yeah, going out in her full assassin regalia would definitely raise some questions. With a sigh, she heads back into the bedroom, tossing off her clothes and depositing them on her bed. She makes sure to toss her cloak atop the now asleep cat, sticking out her tongue at it as it hisses at her.

She ends up grabbing a pair of faded leather jeans and a plain blue shirt, tossing on a jacket and grabbing a pouch of snails before leaving.

As she recalls there’s a shop she might be able to buy some food at just around the corner. Unfortunately, it’s closed. She supposes it’s only fair enough, it being well past eight by now Across the street, however, she sees lights. A smile lights up her face.

A bar. Greasy food, something to drink, and the chance to chat with some unsavoury figures.

Sounds like a good night, all things considered.

But, as luck would have it, at the moment that she walks through those doors, and all eyes are on her for those few seconds, before everyone goes about their day again, she sees a lone figure sitting at the bar.

Her hair isn’t as straight as she remembers, and, from the way she’s knocking back that sludge with a vengeance, there’s not much of her normal demeanor visible, but it’s definitely her.

Lilith Clawthorne.

_Tonight just got_ really _interesting._

With a swagger to her step, she walks up behind the slumped over witch, timing it so she arrives at the stool next to Lilith’s the moment she downs her next shot.

“An-” Lilith begins, shoving the glass back over towards the bartender.  
  
“Make that two, on me.” Gwendolyn says, sliding onto the stool right next to Lilith. The ex-leader of the Emperor’s coven looks at her, shocked, before relaxing as she realizes just who it is.

“Oh, hello.” She says, turning back to look at the counter as the bartender slides two shots across the polished wood towards them.

“Well, cheers.” Lilith says, and the two clink their glasses together before downing them. Gwendolyn about hacks up a lung as the thick, murky liquid burns its way down her throat.

“Bloody hell, what _is_ that stuff?” She says, looking at the bartender. 

“Shrieker draught.” The large yellow demon responds. She makes a mental note never to order anything by that name again, before next to her Lilith calls out “another” once again.

“Uh, how many has she had?”

The bartender doesn’t answer immediately, pouring another shot full of the greasy brown liquid into a glass and sliding it towards the raven haired witch, who catches and downs it in one motion. 

“Eight.”  
  
“Okay, mind fixing us up two plates of something, just as long as it’s greasy I won't mind.” She shoots a look at Lilith, who seems to be swaying atop her stool. “I don’t think she’ll be all that fussed either.”

“Sure.” The demon says, turning around. Before he can walk away, she catches his hand, causing him to turn back to her.

She fishes out a small pocket of snails, depositing it in her hand.

“Cut her off for the night, no more alcohol. Alright?” The yellow demon looks between the two of them, before nodding, turning back to head into the kitchen.

She takes one look at the bar, before turning back to the other witch sat next to her.

“So, what are you doing here?”

“Drinking.” Lilith mutters, a definite slur to her words.

“Okaaaay.” _Not very helpful, but that’s probably her fault for asking such a vague question._

“I mean, this doesn’t really seem like your type of place.” She waves at the dinghy bar. “I mean, food’s probably bad, people are definitely worse, doesn’t seem like your scene, not gonna lie.”

She actually gets a bark of laughter out of Lilith at that. “Ye’ s’pose so.”

“So, I’ll ask again, _why_ are you here?”

“I just, I needed to get away from the owl house for a bit, from Eda and the hu- Luz.”

The atmosphere becomes tense. Gwendolyn’s not sure what to do with what she’s just been told, and Lilith is busy glaring at the countertop.

Thankfully, the two plates of what look to be very greasy, _very_ unhealthy food get shoved in front of them at that point, so they busy themselves with devouring that instead of continuing their conversation.

Alas, things don’t always go as planned.

She hears a pair of footsteps coming closer, and a massive hand comes to rest upon her shoulder. She resists the urge to just stab whoever it is that’s just put a hand on her, instead turning around to look at who exactly it is.

_Yup, just as I imagined._

There’s two of them, dressed in what she assumes are clothes? Might honestly be rags. The one with his paw on her shoulder is a witch, shooting her a smile that makes her notice he’s missing about half his teeth. The one behind that is a pale looking demon that’s got a grin a little _too_ wide plastered on its feline face.

“What are two beautiful ladies like you doing in a place like this all alone? You never know who you might encounter.” 

She shoots him the fakest smile she has, batting her eyelashes a few times, before dropping the act. “Yeah, not interested.” She turns back, slapping his hand off of her shoulder.

He seemed to take exception to that.

His paw grabs her shoulder again, roughly this time, as he spins her around.“Hey, I was talking to yo-”

She’s got her knife halfway out of its sheath, fully intent on stabbing the bastard the moment he’s got her fully spun around, when a blue glow envelops the entire bar. Next she knows she’s staring at a massive hole blown in the front where the door _used_ to be.

She vaguely makes out the battered and bruised hecklers slowly peeling off of the wall, before falling into a miserable heap on the dirt road.

“Oops, that’s a bit too much power.”

She whirls around, wide eyed and spots the cause of what the fuck just happened.

Lilith’s got her staff out. The ivory raven’s eyes are still glowing blue with vestiges of blue fire, and she can practically _smell_ the magic in the air. Her hair’s still slightly floating from the sheer power of that blast and Gwen feels her throat go dry.

  
Once she tears her eyes away from Lilith, however, she also notices that now _everyone’s_ looking at them, and they do not look happy.

“Uh, Lilith?” Gwendolyn says, taking a step back.

“Yeah?” 

“I think we’d better get out of here.”

“I think I agree.”

Gwendolyn lives a measly three minutes’ walk from the bar.

It takes them an hour to lose the mob. First they just book it down the street. After that, Lilith decides to use her staff to fly them out of trouble. Unfortunately, she is still very much drunk, and so the two of them end up falling off and landing on some random person’s roof.

The mob finds them soon after that, and they both are forced to parkour their way across the rooftops in order to dodge the barrage of fireballs, razor sharp leaves and various other spells thrown their way. Gwen’s not going down there, because killing them all would probably put a dampener on her alibi, and Lilith’s not firing back because no doubt the woman realizes she’s not fully in control of her magic and probably doesn’t want to blow up a city block.

Thankfully, eventually they lose them, hidden against the wall of a dark alley as the angry horde passes them by.

_Not the worst way she’s spent an evening_. Gwen supposes, not by a long shot.

“What did we just do?” Lilith asks, horrified.

“I think we just spent two hours running from a mob.” Gwen says in reply, and it’s as if her saying it makes it all the more real, because the two of them share a look.

And they burst out laughing.

Gwen’s holding her sides, slowly sliding down the stone wall as breathless chuckles escape her. Lilith’s not doing that much better, barely holding herself up, it seems.

“Well, I gotta say, at least it wasn’t boring?” Gwen says, wiping away a tear, Lilith nods, before she goes pale.

“Oh my god, I just pulled an “Eda” oh I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

“An Eda?” 

Lilith rolls her eyes. “Edalyn Clawthorne, my sister. Pulling an Eda is what we used to call wanton destruction of property, followed by a high speed chase.”

“Y’know, I can kinda see the appeal.” Gwen says.

“I suppose it has its upsides.” The shorter witch mutters, before she pins Gwendolyn in place with a glare. “Don’t tell Eda.”

Gwen holds up her hands in mock surrender. “My lips are sealed.”

“Thank you.”

The skies rumble above them, and they both look up. The stars are all but blocked out, clouds having rolled in unnoticed during their chase, it seems.

“Well, shit. Looks like it’s about to rain.” Gwen mutters  
  
“Yeah, I’d better get back.” Lilith agrees, moving to walk out of the alley before Gwendolyn grabs her wrist.

“None of that. Last time you tried to fly, we ended up crashing into a house. You’re not flying anywhere.”

“Well, what else do you suggest, I’m never gonna make it in time on foot.” Lilith replies, crossing her arms with a quite adorable huff.

_Shit, she has a point._ Gwendolyn has to admit that, and then her mouth opens without her say-so, and she doesn’t know if it’s because she’s genuinely had a really good night or if that shrieker draught has hit her harder than expected, but-

“You can, uh- come over to my place?”

Lilith _freezes_ , mouth slightly agape as she looks at the taller witch.

“On the couch.” Gwendolyn quickly adds.

“Oh, uh- yeah of course.” Lilith mutters.

_Wait what did she- oh my god, she’s blushing_. Gwendolyn curses her observation skills in that moment, because damn it, she’d rather have stayed ignorant of that particular fact.

Well, ignoring- or well, choosing to ignore that particular fact, she leads the thoroughly pink ex-coven leader to her humble apartment, quickly stuffing her emperor’s coven garb under her bed before the other woman notices, and quickly guides the still inebriated woman over to her couch.

“You uh, can sleep here tonight. I’ll grab a blanket.” Gwendolyn says, as Lilith all but throws herself onto the couch.

“Thnk yu.” The other woman mutters, sound muffled because she’s face down on the couch, which elicits a giggle from the assassin.

She steps into her room, quickly grabbing a blanket and shooing Shadow off of her bed, before stepping back into the living room.

Lilith’s out cold, snoring away on her couch. With a sigh, she deposits the blanket over the snoring witch, before stepping back into her own room.

She quickly tosses off all her clothes, slipping into her pajamas and crawling underneath the covers.

_She actually thought I was offering to sleep with her_ Gwendolyn thinks, tossing and turning a bit. _She was clearly drunk, even if I_ **_wanted_ ** _to, there’s a thing called consent._

And that particular train of thought, led to another realisation.

Lilith’s not half bad looking, personally Gwen had always found the slicked back hair and the “stick-up-my-ass” attitude to be a bit eh, but like that?  
  
Hair slightly curly, laughing and yelling insults as a bunch of drunk criminals chase them throughout Bonesborough?

Plump lips, full cheeks, those _eyes?_

Had Lilith been sober, she probably would have made the _other_ offer….

Gwendolyn groans, smacking a palm across her faces as she feels her cheeks heat up at the realization.

“Ah, shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, this one's a bit of a breather because when the plot picks back up, it's gonna pick back up hard and fast and it's not gonna stop
> 
> please leave your thoughts below, I always love reading them!


	14. Olive branches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter nr. 14 is done, hopefully this is the level of quality you all expect from me.
> 
> [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) once again came in clutch with the awesome editing.

Luz took her time getting home, after coming back from Gwendolyn’s shop. The two of them had spent half an hour stacking boxes before the older witch had mentioned having another appointment, shooing the girl out the door with a quick ruffle of her hair and an invitation to come by any time.

Luz had avoided people wherever she could, using the alleyways and going through the emptier parts of town Gus had shown her a while back, rushing through the cobble laden streets with her hoodie pulled up over her head and her eyes down. Thankfully, nobody really paid enough attention to realize just _who_ she was. 

Once out of Bonesborough, she slowed down again, pulling off her hoodie the moment she entered the treeline. From there she just… Wandered around the woods for a bit, sketching a few birds shrieking at each other on a log, picking up a few rocks and chucking them at nearby trees, just.. keeping herself busy. 

Letting out her frustration at the whole situation had definitely helped. She probably went a bit nuts on that bush though… At least she didn’t feel like screaming and punching someone anymore. She just wants to lay down and sleep for like- a week.

Thankfully, Hooty doesn’t bother her as she walks up to the familiar sight of the Owl House, his stretched form is coiled around the house, no doubt trying to pester Eda as she’s cooking dinner.

The door opens with that all-too familiar sound as she steps into the Owl house, and she’s not inside but ten seconds before something very familiar latches itself onto her legs.

“Luz, you’re back!” King screeches in that tone of his, tail wagging so fast that it looks like it’s vibrating as he snuggles into her legs, and, for a few seconds, everything is forgotten as she scoops the king of demons up.

“Aww, aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” She coos, as King valiantly- yet uselessly tries to pry himself from out of her grasp.

“NO, LET ME GO- YOUR KING DEMANDS IT.”

“But you’re just so adorable, I just wanna _squish_ you.” Luz squeezes him even tighter, before letting him go.

“Uh, thank you minion, now. Hand it over.” King demands, Luz rolls her eyes, fishing out her phone from her pocket and handing it to the tiny demon.

“YES, All the videos I can watch, nyeh!” King squeaks out, running over to and plopping himself down on the couch.

“Hey uh King, where’s Eda?” 

“In the kitchen.” King mutters, not looking up from what Luz guess is probably another video of a pair of cats playing.

Luz leaves the room as King’s commentary of “Yes, kill each other for my amusement!” begins to ring out, and she walks into another quite familiar scene.

  
Namely, Eda having a battle with the vegetables, the ones she’s brought to life, _again_. And by battle, she means that Eda is currently using Owlbert as a makeshift club and is using him to batter a squash into submission, whilst cussing the vegetable out.

“Get.”  
  
Thwack.  
  
“In.”  
  
Thwack.

“The.”  
  
 _Thwack._

“Damn.”  
  
 **Thwack.**

“Pot.”

With a wet squelch, the Squash gives in, laying on the floor before being swept up and dumped into the pot of boiling water. Eda’s gaze shifts to a pair of Onions huddled in the corner, holding Owlbert like a bat as she approaches the quivering vegetables.

“Hi Eda, I’m home.” Luz calls out from the doorway. The older witch’s head snaps to her apprentice, throwing Owlbert across her shoulders as she shoots the girl a lazy grin.

“Hey kid, how was school.”

Luz stiffens. “School was…. fine.”

The smile drops off of Eda’s face, and she takes a few steps forward.

“Kid, everything alright.”  
  
“I-uh.” She begins, before noticing something out of the corner of her eye, past Eda.

  
“Eda, the onions!” 

“Ah crap.” 

The next half hour is spent chasing after a group of runaway vegetables, in which a window, a chair, what’s left of Eda’s dignity and a copper pan end up paying the ultimate price. Hooty and King end up joining in halfway through the whole experience- to the onions’ avail. King might have his heart in the right place but clumsy doesn’t even begin to describe him. He ends up getting flung through the window, courtesy of Eda and one _mean_ swing from Owlbert. Hooty on the other hand…. Well, he just wanted to be involved, which ended up with Eda stuffing a pan down his gullet and kicking him out of the kitchen.

After that, it had been the two of them again, and things had been slightly better for a bit, (save for the incident both of them agree never to speak of again). They eventually manage to round up all the onions, tossing them into the pot.

After that, the two of them take a well deserved rest. Eda grabs her favourite mug and pours herself a drink, tossing Luz a packet of juice as they sit at the kitchen table, listening to the soft sputtering of their hard work as it cooks down into a stew.

Luz is about to reach into her bag to grab her notebook, when Eda fixes her a stare.

“So, kid. Spill.”

_Oh. Yeah…_ In all the excitement she’d all but forgotten about earlier today. She kinda preferred it that way, but. Eda would find out sooner or later, might as well get it over with now.

Didn’t have to be right this second, though. So she took a big sip out of her juice box before sighing, fixing Eda with a look.

“Well…. They know.”

“About what?”  
  
“Well… Boscha called me “your highness” this morning.”

Eda frowns.

“Boscha, you mean the girl you turned into a nightlight?”

Luz can’t help but rub the back of her neck at that. “Yeahhhh.”

Eda lets out an amused giggle, before she stills. With a slowness that makes the hairs on Luz’ neck stand up, she turns towards the girl fully, setting the mug she’d been drinking out of down with more force than necessary.

“What happened.” The tone in her voice is one that brooks no room for arguing.

“Well.” She begins, voice trembling faintly with what she reckons are the vestiges of a myriad of emotions. Anger, sadness, nervousness, regret, among others. “Apparently there was a council meeting, yesterday? And he told everyone, about us- about _me_. About how I’m his kid and apparently now the entire isles know?” With a sigh that seems to deflate her entire being, her eyes turn to the table, frowning slightly.

She hears a small crackle, and the smell of ozone hits her nose. Her brow furrows, and she takes a look out the window. Weird, it’s not raining.

  
She looks back to Eda, and her eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. The air around her mentor has taken an orange glow, crackling wildly, as if the only thing that’s stopping it from lashing out is Eda’s temper, and from the look in her eyes, it is one that is fraying dangerously.

“Watch the house.” She says, standing up and drawing a small magical circle. Owlbert flies into her awaiting hand as she pivots on a foot and moves to storm out of the house. Luz has to scramble over the table in order to reach Eda in time, and even then she’s only _barely_ able to latch onto the Owl Lady’s arm as she’s already halfway out the door. Eda seems to snap out of her furious daze somewhat, shaking her hand in a half-hearted attempt to dislodge the brunette.

“Luz, what are you doing?” She says, voice filled with confusion as Luz tries to drag her back into the house.

“Eda come back inside, you’re not going to fight the emperor over this.” That seems to throw Eda for a loop, allowing Luz to drag the taller woman back into the house, slamming the door behind them and putting herself between it and the now very confused witch.

“Okay, is there something I’m not understanding here, why are you acting so calm about this?” Eda asks.

“I’m not.” Luz mutters. “Trust me- I’m really not, but getting angry isn’t gonna change anything Eda, it’s only gonna get you and King and Lilith in trouble if you go out there and try to fight him.”  
  
“Try to?” Eda snorts. “I’d kick his ass.” Luz keeps her mouth shut at that, because she honestly doesn’t know if Eda _could_ do that.

“Anyways, I’d rather you didn’t try to fight him Eda, please?” 

With a sigh, the Older witch agrees. “Yeah yeah, whatever.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sits back down on her chair, throwing one leg over the other as she crosses her arms.

“Well, this explains a lot.”  
  
“Huh?”

With a sigh, Eda draws a small circle in the air, suddenly. A portal opens above the table, and what looks like _dozens_ of gifts fall onto the table. Luz swears she hears the table creak under all the weight. She spots clothes, a few pans, what looks like the _entire Azura book range_ , A- was that a kitchen sink? She spots some shoes, food, and a whole lot more.

“Went into town earlier today, everyone just kept giving me gifts. And here I thought they were just happy for _me_. Pfft, figures.”

Luz blinks. Looking at the massive pile before looking back at Eda. “Eda, you shouldn’t have accepted these.”

“Why not? They’re not even for _me._ Apparently.”

“Eda, this is called taking advantage of people’s kindness.” She sputters, waving at the gigantic pile of gifts.

“Careful kiddo with the whole “taking advantage of kindness” thing, I might start asking for rent.”

“How would I even pay for that?”  
  
Eda shrugs. “Who knows, maybe ask your dad for an allowance?”

Both of them chuckle at that, before Luz’ expression sobers.

“Y’know, this is just to try and get into _my_ good graces, or- well, Belos’ good graces.” the older witch can’t help but humm in agreement there.

“Yup. Seems like you’ve become quite the popular kid overnight.”

And if that were the half of it, Luz would’ve honestly not have been all that bothered. If anything it would’ve been a nice change of pace. But nope, all they were interested in was the title, and not even that- the opportunity to make merry _with_ the title.

“I hate it.” She admits. “Feels like I’m back, y’know at home? Back to being an outsider, only this time people aren’t even honest with me. Back home, I at least had that.”  
  
And how sad a statement that was, preferring the honesty of the cutting remarks and mocking jeers over the false joy and undeserved popularity.

“You’re not, though.”

Luz looks up, meeting Eda’s gaze.

“Kid, do you really think _I_ care about your dad being a big shot? And I’m not the only one. Last I checked, you’ve got quite the menagerie of people who seem to enjoy being around you.”

Eda was right there, she supposed. Amity, King, Willow, Gus. All friends she wouldn’t have even dared dream about back in the human world, and they weren’t the only ones. Viney, Jerbo, Barcus, Ed and Em- she supposed Hooty counted, too.

“But what if they start treating me differently?” 

“I dunno kid, you told those other kids about this whole situation earlier, right?”  
  
 _Oh yeah, she had._ “Yeah.”

  
“And, did they act differently?”  
  
Luz feels a smile blossom at that. “No.”  
  
“Well, there you have it kid.” The stove chooses that exact time to start whistling- Luz is pretty sure she recognises the tune. It means dinner’s done. Eda gets up, ruffling Luz’ hair as she goes to get the pot off of the stove. Luz rushes over to the cabinets, grabbing the plates and cutlery and setting the table.

Dinner is a loud affair, filled with jokes and bickering. Luz really has missed this. It really makes the whole situation earlier today feel less bad. Though, she does frown a bit when she notices Lilith’s place is empty.

“Eda, where’s your sister?”  
  
The owl lady shrugs, putting down her plate, she’d been using it as a cup instead of just using her spoon because Eda had never cared about table manners, and probably never would.

“She said she was heading into town just before you joined, and mentioned coming back late.” Eda frowns a bit. “Good that she’s getting out of the house for a change, all that lazing about all day had _me_ worried.”

“Oh, ok.” 

The rest of the night is one Luz will remember fondly, Eda regales them with story after story, King interjecting to tell his own “totally true” stories as well. Hooty is surprisingly tolerable. After that, Eda manages to finagle the four of them into a game of Hexes hold ‘em. Hooty was swiftly banned for eating his cards, and King had stormed off with a huff, convinced that they were “cheating” somehow.

(They weren’t, King just has a terrible poker face.)

After that it had just been Luz and Eda, and to everyone’s surprise, Luz had won. After a few more rounds, (and Luz winning every single one of them), Eda had called it a night, shooing Luz upstairs as well.

Luz didn’t complain, settling into her sleeping bag with the biggest smile on her face. All in all, it had been a pretty bad day, but it hadn’t been all bad.

As Luz’ eyes fluttered shut, weighed down by exhaustion, one thought passed through her mind.

She felt like she was home.

\--

Belos felt… Nothing.

He supposes he should specify. His emotions are still all there, he just doesn’t feel any of those, those pangs of emotion. The bond he’d seemed to share with his daughter is broken.

He supposes it only makes sense, the piece of his soul that had formed the bond has rejoined the rest. It means no more flashes of memories- he now recalls them all vividly. It also means no more emotions not his own or sleepless nights.

And he loathes to admit it, but he’d have preferred those with the benefit of feeling those emotions, over the turmoil he finds himself in right now. He’d excused himself for the night, fully intent on busying himself with paperwork and various other things. But alas, Kikimora had taken care of that.

Which had left him here, in his study, alone with his thoughts. Not the best combination right at this point in time, he supposed., if he was wanting something back that had deprived him of sleep for five years.

It would at least give him some clarity, some form of insight, some other way besides Gwendolyn’s words to make sure that what she says is true, or- hopefully- that she’s exaggerating, though that would be doing his blade in the darkness a disservice.

Gwendolyn might bluster and crack jokes like they’re going out of style, but he cannot blame her. Everyone has different ways to deal with their own demons. But he knows one thing. She is not one to make something out like it’s a big deal when it's not. And that worries him greatly

He almost wants to scoff at himself, dismiss it as mere sentimentality and move on, but he finds himself unable to. 

After all, this is his _daughter_ , and making the logical choice hasn’t panned out for him all that well, it seems. Not that he regrets the decision made, he still stands by that, it’s the best way to keep her safe, but the impact on Luz herself has been one he seems to have grossly underestimated.

And that leads him onto a whole different train of thought, one that makes him want to just crawl into the darkest pit he could find.

Her best friends, and she’d only known them for a _month?_ He recalls her mentioning a similar thing when they were going over pictures, about how she didn’t really have friends and how her mother- Camila- wasn’t really around all that much.

He finds himself wondering. _Could he have changed anything?_ And he _knows_ it’s essentially self-flagellation, but he cannot help it. 

It also makes him all the more aware of everything he’s missed. The last time he’d seen her, she had been mere months old, with the cutest dimples and a surprisingly full head of hair. He’d kissed her on the forehead and laid her in her crib.

The next time he saw her, she was running away from him, terrified beyond words as he chased her through his castle. Of course neither of them had _known_ at the time, but it still bothered him.

There was a gap, a fourteen year wide gap of information that he simply didn’t know, things that he’d thought about at length before she’d been born, things he _should_ have known.

What had her first words been? How had her first day at school been? What were her interests and her hobbies, her dreams and her fears? Every question he asks, he finds himself drawing a blank on.

It does make him realize something. The first conscious action as a parent he’s made since returning into her life, had been revealing her as his in front of the isles. 

Every single thing that had happened, including Gwen’s tales about her falling apart at the seams, had been his fault.

_Truly father of the year._

That leaves him with another question, how does he go about making reparations for his decision? He almost wants to brush it off, pretend it’s never happened. _Surely, one decision cannot lead to such great consequences._ He almost thinks to himself, before he recalls just when he’d last thought that.

That had been his train of thought when he’d gotten into that car with Camila, all those years ago. And as it turns out, one decision can have _great_ consequences.

He does, in fact, need to fix this. He just doesn’t know _how_. 

With a sigh, he pushes himself out of his chair, wincing as his bones creak, a reminder that he’s not the youngest anymore. He grabs his cloak and mask, summoning his staff from its position resting against the wall, and walks out of the study.

He’s always done this- wander about- originally a habit born out of necessity, one that he’s never felt the need to get rid of.

Decades ago, it had been the smart choice, wandering around the camp with supper for the guards, and a chance to get some fresh air. After more and more people had flocked to his cause, that particular task had been delegated to those of lower status.

He’d kept wandering though, a way to get away from the politics and to show his presence around the camp, to be able to just _think_ and not have to be on guard at all times.

He realizes then, just where his wandering has led him, as he is standing in front of a _very familiar_ door. His hand leaves his side, coming to rest on the cool wood. He briefly hesitates, before taking a deep breath and pushing into the room.

He takes in the room, the empty bed, the chair that still has a few clothes of hers draped over it, the desk, and the calendar.

He’s found his way into his daughter’s room during his mindless wandering.  
  
He sighs, moving over to the bed and taking a seat atop it. He gently takes off his mask, placing it on the desk next to the bed before taking his head in his hands.

He briefly wonders, surprisingly bitterly, just what it must be like at the Owl House for her to want to run off to there. Is this not enough? The bed is of the highest quality. She has a room all to her own. Anything she could have wished for, and he would have provided it.

A sigh escapes his lips, taking with it his unreasonable anger and replacing it with a feeling of tired acceptance, of _course_ that wasn’t why she’d run.

It was that she felt more comfortable, more at ease with the Owl lady and her companions. And that drives yet another shard of ice into his heart. His own little girl, the girl he loved more than life itself, was more at ease with what was essentially a stranger than with her own father.

Then again, he wasn’t much more than a stranger to her right now. He briefly thinks back to him lying on this very same floor, reaching out to cup her face in his hands.

_“My little light.”_ A nickname he’d come up with as he’d held her in his hands that first night at the hospital. A nickname he’d uttered that night. A nickname that had caused her to recoil from his touch.

He realizes that he’s going about it the wrong way. To her, he’s a stranger- a stranger with a title and a connection to her, and that realisation- it hurts, but it’s the truth. Acting as if he’s her father isn’t going to do anything but drive her away.

Well… Further away then his stunt with the council has driven her.

What he needs is an olive branch, a way to reach out and maybe- just maybe- try to make something where nothing is to be found right now.

Mayhaps a gift?

He looks over the room once more, the massive bed, the immaculate desk, the sleek wardrobe and the wooden chair.

An idea forms within his head.

He’d given her the room, hadn’t he? That would stand to reason that everything within it was _hers_. He supposes she’ll also be wanting those clothes carelessly draped across the back of the chair back, one way or another.

_That_ _might actually be a good idea_. He supposes. It’s certainly better than any other gift he can think of. A fourteen year old would probably not find the best use out of a library of forgotten knowledge, though he does make a mental note to stuff a few copies of his books on glyphs and some of his research on those glyph-tattoos into her wardrobe.

He stands up, and, with a wave of his hand, all the furniture within the room disappears, stored into a small pocket dimension for later use.

He almost wants to say “fuck it.” To head over to the Owl house right now and make sure she receives it. But she’s likely to be asleep right now, and he has a feeling that showing up at their door in the middle of the night won’t be received well.

Well, he supposes he can wait a little longer.

\--

Gwendolyn wakes up to the sound of someone’s guts being puked up coming from her bathroom.

She groans, sitting upright slowly and rubbing the vestiges of sleep from her eyes. Her eyes blink open slowly as she takes in the sight of her room. Her familiar, Shadow, is still sleeping at the foot of her bed, and the light is pouring in from a small window.

The sound of vomiting reaches her ear again, and just like that, she recalls the previous night.

The bar, Lilith, those creepy patrons and the mob, the rain, and her offer to let the ex- coven leader crash on her couch.

The realisation afterwards… A small flush creeps over her cheeks as that particular fact flashes across her mind’s eye.

With a sigh, she wills the blush back down. _Not the time to focus on a crush_. She grabs a pair of sweats and a gray T-shirt and goes to check up on the other woman.

The sight that meets her, once she enters the bathroom, is not a pretty one.

Lilith’s leaning on the toilet bowl with one hand, using the other to keep her hair out of her face. She’s somehow pale and green at the same time, and those groans she lets out are a telltale sign of a headache pounding away behind her eyes.

She crosses her arms, leaning against the door opening as she gazes at the sight before her. Before long, Lilith notices her presence, but she’s either too hung over to care, or simply can’t be bothered right now.

“Need anything?” 

In a voice that is half a pained groan, and half a response, the witch currently kneeling on the floor responds. “Headache.”

_Yup, that confirms her suspicions._ She quickly moves to grab a few painkillers, pouring a glass of water and dissolving them into it.

“Here.” She sinks down onto her haunches, handing the other woman the glass. “Probably tastes vile, but I don’t think you’d be able to swallow those tablets whole right now.” 

“Thank you.” She mutters, taking the glass and downing it in a single gulp.

“So, how long have you been in here?” Gwendolyn can’t help but ask, awkwardly laying a hand on the other woman’s shoulder.

“I dunno, thirty minutes.” 

“Yeesh, that’s rough.” She’s about to offer her some breakfast, before she remembers that her fridge is currently _empty._

“Look, you can use my toothbrush. I’m gonna head over to the store real quick, alright?”

Lilith shoots her a pained yet grateful look, but gives her a slight nod.

“Alright.” With a grunt she rises back to her full height, grabbing a pair of shoes, a small pouch of snails, and her jacket, leaving to get both of them some breakfast.

\--

Breakfast ends up being a quiet affair. Lilith’s clearly hungry, but she’s struggling to put away the two pieces of toast on her plate as-is. Gwen, on the other hand, has already finished, pouring herself a glass of water and offering one to Lilith too. The slightly shorter woman shoots her a grateful look, taking a sip. Gwen supposes the woman’s throat must feel like sandpaper right now.

After a while, Lilith speaks again, refusing to meet Gwen’s eyes.

“I’m uh, sorry. For yesterday.”

The assassin lets out a chortle of laughter. “What for? Most fun I’ve had in awhile.” 

Lilith blinks. “We got chased throughout town. People were throwing _knives_ at us?!”

_Their aim was shit._ Gwen thinks. “So, all in all, pretty successful night, I have to say.”

“I suppose our definition of successful differs somewhat.”

Gwen shoots her a smirk, and Lilith averts her gaze. The two of them fall into a comfortable silence, the only real sounds being the occasional sip of water, or Lilith nibbling away at her toast.

“I should probably be going.” Lilith says, once the last pieces of toast have finally disappeared down her gullet, hopefully to stay this time. Gwen sighs, but nods. It’s probably for the best if she leaves now.

“Very well, need anything else?”

Lilith shakes her head. “No, you’ve been exceptionally generous already, anything more would just be taking advantage of your hospitality.”

And it’s at this moment, where Gwendolyn’s usual quick wit and her tendency to say what she thinks gets her in trouble. She’s unsure if it’s just some kind of divine intervention for all the times she’s mocked others, or just because the universe is a bitch, and letting her have anything nice is not something it’s comfortable with. But she speaks.

“Anything for a pretty lady.”

_Please kill me now._

Lilith goes _crimson_. Gwen reckons her own pigment has been flushed a similar colour, as the two of them look at each other whilst a horrifying silence encompasses the mood of the room.

“I-uh”  
  
 _Oh really,_ **_now_ ** _is when your words fail you._

“I should probably go.” Lilith says a bit too quickly, standing up.  
  
With a defeated sigh, Gwendolyn nods. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.”

Gwendolyn’s about to smack herself, of course this would happen the o-

_Wait a second._

Her head shoots up, and she catches the flush that’s spread across Lilith’s face intensifying.

“I- uh, would like to thank you again, for yesterday.”  
  
“Uh, no problem.” She says, dumbfounded.

“I really appreciate it.” Lilith says, and normally you’d expect that to be the end of it, but she doesn’t move. And Gwendolyn’s probably reading too much into it, but it’s like she’s waiting for something and Gwendolyn’s already fucked up, might as well go the full nine miles.

“Would you like to- how do the youth say it, _hang out?_ Some time?”

If it were somehow possible, the flush on Lilith’s face increases even further, looking at the seated witch doe-eyed as she splutters for words.

“I-uh, I’d like that, howdoesfridayatfivesound?” Lilith says, and Gwen is barely able to catch the words “friday” and “five” amidst the rambling.

“Uh, sounds good, meet at the shop?.”

“ThankyouI’llbegoingnow.” 

And with that Lilith almost flash-steps out of the apartment. The door slamming shut knocks Gwen out of her reverie, and sheds light on just what exactly she’s agreed on.

With a sigh, she takes off her clothes, slipping back under the covers. Shadow looks at her questioningly, but goes back to sleep himself.

_Fuck the shop, and fuck today, she needs a nap._

\--

Eda’s day had been, all things considered, going pretty well.

She’d woken up without a crick in her neck for once, Hooty had been thankfully quite silent, King had been King, and Luz had been Luz. All in all, a pretty nice morning.

  
She’d dropped off Luz at school about fifteen minutes ago, and was currently sitting in the kitchen, a mug of Apple Blood in her hand and her feet up on the table.

Today was a good day.

But, the universe seemed to disagree. She could hear some kind of scuffle going outside. With a frown, she put the mug down, walking into the living room.

Suddenly, a sound rings out from the front door.

Thud.  
  
Thud.

“Ow, jeez that’s my face.”  
  
 **THUD.** **  
****  
**“Yeah yeah, I’m coming.” She sighs, getting up from the chair, flinching at the crack her back gives as she stands. The curse might be gone, but the aftereffects still linger.

“I swear Lilith, I would almost think you’re turning into… me.” She says, trailing off as her eyes travel upwards. She’d been expecting Lilith.

This... wasn’t Lilith.

The cloaked figure of Emperor Belos gazes down at her.

“Might I come in?”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, guess this is the fourteenth chapter and -HOLY FUCK WE'RE ALMOST AT A THOUSAND KUDOS  
> I cannot even begin to stress how much I adore you all, you guys and your support has been the driving factor behind this fic's succes
> 
> Thank you all, and as per usual please feel free to leave a comment if you feel so inclined, they're always a joy.


	15. The first step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15 is a doozy, and I hope you all like it
> 
> once again, [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) was a massive help with editing

Everything was going to plan.

Within the deepest bowels of their secret hideout, the council was preparing for a victory most absolute.

The isles had been thrown into disarray by the announcement of Belos having an heir. The filthy human was something that showed the sheer depths of depravity that the usurper had sunk to. It had galvanized the resolve of the cabal. They would not allow their realm to fall into the hands of such a creature.

When they had heard the news, jubilation and celebration had spread across all faithful within the cabal. Surely this was a sign? This _filth_ was a sign from the titan that proved to them that their faith was justified. Their piety would allow themselves to dispose of this treachery.

They had indulged their chosen few, allowing them to make merry among themselves whilst they planned.

Even Belos, despite his considerable might, wasn’t able to root out every single one of their informants, and over the years some of them had reached considerable status.

Considerable enough, that they were aware of a certain plan of the false emperor, and thus, Tthe council were, too.

An ancient portal key, being built into a portal within the very deepest depths of the emperor’s sanctum. They knew not for what purpose he intended to use it, but that didn’t matter.

He would never get to use it.

First thing first, they needed to get his spawn out of the picture. A most necessary precaution., sShould the half-breed show any signs of the same magics that Belos possessed, she would be one of the most dangerous opponents on the isles. They needed to curb the possibility of that happening, before it even could.

The doors to the council chambers slammed open, and forty of the coven’s most prolific witches strode forward, taking a bow in sync before their masters.

“You will go out, and you will rid the holy soil on the titan’s bones of the usurper’s filthy spawn.” The foremost among the council called out.

At once, all forty responded.

“By the titan’s will, it shall be done.”

To the first council member’s right, another voice spoke up.

“The time and place are of your own choosing, but understand this. If you _fail_ this mission, your lives are forfeit. The titan has no use for sons and daughters who cannot follow the simplest of commands.”

At once they called out once more, before rising and leaving the room again. No sooner had they left, had another group taken their place. These were different. They were bare chested, their arms and backs full of ritual scarring whilst their heads were shaved clean. Their bellies were another case altogether, with swirling lines tattooed onto their bellies into the shape of one of their greatest weapons.

These were the undaunted, the most pious of their order. They had given over their lives to the Titan to a degree not even the council had. In unison, they prostrated themselves in front of the five leaders of the cabal. None speaking up, for they could not- their tongues having been ritualistically removed. What need had they of speech, when their worship did not require words?

At once, the council stood, faces hidden within black robes as they looked over the dozen gathered members.

“The time has come, and our day of reckoning is upon us. Now we must ask something of you, that we only hope the titan will forgive us for doing.”

The two outermost of their ranks carved magic circles into the air, and a dozen brown cloaks appeared before the undaunted.

“Cover your worship, leave our premises, and do the duty the titan expects of you. You twelve will be the dozen of us that rise into the realm of the titan first. You will be the crux to our plans, we know you will not fail us- now. Make sure the world remembers your name.”  
  
At once they rose, clothing themselves in the brown robes and leaving the church, as the massive doors to the council chambers closed themselves. The foremost among the five spoke once more.

“Prepare a feast. We shall announce our intent to the cabal tomorrow. Carve the names of the undaunted into the church, their being will be a most unmissable boon to our cause, make sure they are lauded in at least a dozen songs by the end of the month.”

“It shall be done, brother.” The others called, leaving the room.

As their footsteps echoed down the hall, he allowed himself a slight smile.

Soon, it would be time for a reckoning, and then it would be a day- nay, a month of jubilation. Belos would be paraded, or well- his _corpse_ would be paraded throughout every town and city in the Isles, maybe his spawn along with him. 

They would make him suffer for his betrayal, for his heresy, and they would make sure the Isles once again belonged to their rightful heirs. They would make the Titan’s will manifest itself once more.

After all, were they not in the right? When the Titan itself demanded this of them?

\--

Tuesday was… Fine, Luz supposed. 

It wasn’t as if everyone had magically forgotten about her being well… The emperor’s daughter or anything like that, but she didn’t feel like throwing up anymore. Eda did have a point. She still had her friends.

Currently, she was in abomination class, which meant she was sitting next to Amity. Abominations were… Tricky, and she hadn’t been able to find anything akin to a glyph in the muck that made up these creatures.

So, instead, she spent every lesson taking notes, whilst prying Amity for any information regarding the art of controlling and creating these weird constructs. Which was- well to put it mildly it was becoming a bit perplexing, and only partially because, for all her prodigious skill at making abominations, Amity also had no clue as to where to look for a glyph.

It also had to do with the fact Amity seemed incapable of actually well, answering any of Luz’ inquiries.

If she got lucky, Amity would answer partially, before she began stuttering and flushing. Luz had been confused at that initially, but over the course of the lesson, it was becoming a bit of a concerning thing. Edric and Emira _had_ mentioned that Amity got red in the face when she was angry. That made her worry. Had she done something to upset the youngest Blight?  
  
A dark corner of her mind wondered if Amity was as ok with her parentage as she’d originally reassured the other girl about.

And if that didn’t open up another can of worms, because if _Amity_ wasn’t ok with it, who was to say Willow and Gus would be? She’d been building up the courage to ask Amity about what exactly was wrong for the entire lesson now, and from what she could read on the clock, time was slowly running out. 

So, with a final deep breath and a fair bit of mental prepping up, she tapped Amity on the shoulder.

The girl almost immediately turned around, a questioning look on her face, and Luz sighed, before asking.

“Amity, did I do something wrong?”

The questioning look on the witch’s face morphed into confusion, eyebrows creasing as her ears twitched, something which Luz found utterly adorable. It was a small thing, and likely one that people in the Boiling Isles just thought of as normal, but the fact that their ears emoted along with their faces, as if they were part feline- was just the _cutest_ in Luz’ opinion.

But- gushing about witches aside, there was a question Luz desperately needed answers to at this point in time.

“Uh, w- what do you mean Luz?” 

“You’re always flushing red, a- and Ed and Em told me you do that when you’re angry, and you’re always stuttering and running away. Did I- did I make a mistake or something?” She takes a glance at Amity as she finishes talking. Something akin to lead settles in her stomach, anchoring her to the seat.

Amity’s expression freezes for what feels like a small eternity, before she flushes crimson again. There’s a keening whine that passes from her lips the moment she opens them, and by some miracle, she flushes even _deeper_ as her gaze turns to the ground.

“Th-tha, I’m not mad at you or anything Luz, I’m really not.” Amity manages to croak out, and it sounds belaboured and somewhat breathless, but most of all, it sounds _sincere_ , and that’s something that Luz desperately wanted to hear.

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Luz lets out a giggle. It takes most of the tension in her body with it, and, from the corner of her eye, she sees Amity’s face soften into a look that she doesn’t really know how to describe.

The rest of the lesson passes fairly quickly, and before she knows it, the telltale screaming of the bell signifies the end of class.

Amity and Luz leave class side-by-side, Luz animatedly chatting away about what she hopes is gonna happen in the next Azura book, whilst Amity just interjects a few comments here and there. Luz notices the stares, and she _hates_ the fact that she does. But she supposes the fact that _some_ things haven’t changed is good enough right now.

\--

Amity had been worried, when Luz had originally asked about her behaviour, fearing the girl had caught on and not ready for the sting that rejection would bring with it. Thankfully- or well, luckily for her right now, Luz hadn’t caught on, merely worried about having done something to offend the young witch. If anything, her concern endeared her to the youngest Blight even more.

They were headed towards the cafeteria, locked in an animated discussion regarding the best choice of pet Azura could have, (Luz had vehemently insisted on a dragon, Amity had put forth a Quillin instead.) When the two of them passed a group of students hanging out, Amity noticed something- rather, someone, between them and the entrance to the cafeteria, leaning against one of the lockers.

He was tall for his age, fourteen- just like Luz and Amity. His skin was the colour of ash and his hair resembled black velvet in both texture and colour. Two yellow eyes stared at them, specifically- at _Luz_ , who still hadn’t noticed it.

She recognised him, Dustin Merryweather. The oldest son of a rich merchant family, his father was a good friend of her own, the two of them having come from practically identical backgrounds. And even though her own father had given up the rights to his company when marrying her mother, the two of them had kept a steadfast friendship throughout the years.

Dustin was… Fine. A bit snobby and far too self important for her tastes, but a far cry from the delusions of Boscha. 

She briefly wondered why he was looking at the two of them, before he pushed off from his spot, striding into their path.

Amity had to put a hand on Luz’ shoulder to prevent her from walking into the tall demon.

“Uh, can I help you?” Luz asked, once she took notice of the figure in front of her.

“Yes, you can.” He said, in a weirdly deep broque. Amity’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he got to one knee. A quick glance to her left confirmed Luz having pretty much the exact same reaction. “Will you do me the honour of being my date to the next starlight ball?”

Amity nearly choked on her own spit, eyes bulging out comically. _How had she forgotten about the starlight ball?!_ It was one of the biggest events of the year. All the nobles and rich folk in the isles gathered together in the Emperor’s castle under the light of a thousand falling stars. It had originally been a celebration to commend the emperor’s conquest of the isles, but over time had changed into one of the biggest events in the Isles. 

To invite someone over to the starlight ball was an open invitation to courtship. Luz, in all her naïve kindness would probably accept as well, unknowing of the true meaning of the offer.

To her surprise however, she didn’t.

“I- uh, thank you? But uh, no thanks?” Amity almost let out a chuckle at the dumbfounded look on Dustin’s face as he rose to his feet again.

“I implore you to reconsider, I assure you. You shall want for nothing, should you accept.” Amity’s ears flattened against her head as she shot the demon a glare. He didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah, no. Thank you but I’m not interested.” That seemed to do the trick. He blinked, before nodding. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the two of them. Amity followed his line of vision to-

_Oh._

Her hand was still on Luz’ shoulder.

She pulled it back as if burned, and Luz didn’t notice, but Dustin surely did, stumbling over his words as he tried to make amends for what he probably perceived as having slighted the princess of the Isles.

“I apologize, I had no idea you were interested in well- not men.” Amity was about to strangle this bastard here and now, when Luz spoke up.

“Uh, what? I’m bi, I just don’t know you. Sorry.” With that Dustin seemed to concede, stepping aside, allowing Luz to drag Amity after her as she walked into the cafeteria.

And yes, _drag_ Amity with her. Because Amity had shut down after a particular word.

_Bi_.

_She might actually have a chance._

\--

“Might I come in?”  
  
Belos didn’t see a much better way to greet the younger Clawthorne sister. The owl lady stared up at him well- owlishly, blinking a few times before rubbing her eyes.

One moment, he was staring at the ex-criminal.

The next, he found himself buried halfway into the trunk of a redwood.

_Maybe not the best thing to say._

As he extracted himself from within the tree, he noticed the witch stalking towards him, staff in hand and murder in her eyes. He could practically _feel_ the magic oozing off of her.

“Please allow me a mo-.” He was cut off by the shriek of a bolt of magical lightning being fired at him, snapping his fingers and erecting a magical barrier in front of him.

The rustling of the wind behind him was all he heard, but that was enough. 

He spun around, pulling his staff from within his robes, blocking a swing from the Owl lady that definitely was meant to take off his head.

“I don’t want to hear it.” She growled, darting away from him before sending another blast at him.

This one he met head on, a blade of crackling red energy manifesting from the orb atop his staff. With a single strike, he turned the blow aside, causing it to reduce a chunk of the forest into kindling.

As the blast cleared his line of vision, he saw no sign of the Owl Lady. Next thing he knew,the ground underneath him was turning to quicksand.

His gaze flitted downward- for but the briefest of moments, but it gave Eda all the opportunity she needed to strike, summoning a massive abomination that towered over even some of the trees. It ripped the redwood he’d crashed into earlier, from the ground- roots and all.

It brought the makeshift club down with intent to squash him like a bug. 

Yet, when it connected with the ground with enough force to mimic a miniature earthquake, he wasn’t within its path of destruction.

He was up in the skies, well outside of the Owl Lady’s field of vision, currently thinking of how to go about the current situation.

The Owl lady was _good,_ he had rarely seen that many magical spells comboed together so efficiently- and the sheer raw _power_ of the spells. He had to give a begrudging sign of respect for the prowess of the woman. He could understand why she’d called herself “the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles”.

Lilith was powerful- incredibly so. But this was a magnitude beyond even her power, and he could feel her holding back, even still.

He supposed she had earned enough of his respect to elicit something more than simply dodging or turning her blows aside.

With his mind made up, he careened towards the ground, roaring like a comet as he streaked downwards towards the Owl lady, she spotted him at the last moment, bringing her staff up to block the impact.

When the two staves met, it was as if a bomb had gone off. Bushes were stripped of leaves, branches ripped and splintered from the shockwave and the ground itself cracked underneath the force of the impact.

“Finally decided to stop running, eh?” She taunted, and he couldn’t help the small smirk that passed over his lips at the comment.

He didn’t reply, darting backwards whilst sending a blast of crackling red energy at her. She tore through it as she chased after him, they clashed a dozen more times, each one higher into the skies.

The thirteenth time, they clashed amidst rapidly darkening clouds, the titan’s carcass miles below them.

Here, they could go all out. And both of them knew it.

Eda was naught but a blur, not unlike a lightning bolt as she thundered across the sky, streaking yellow as she unleashed magics the scale of which impressed Belos to an extent he hadn’t been in decades.

Belos was- well, he wass holding back less than he’d expected to have to, though he still was not nearly at his apex of strength. But the fact someone was pushing them to this extent was a feat worthy of praise on its own.

As he carved through a stream of superheated plasma however, he supposed this wasn’t productive to this reason for coming here. 

Besides, it might be a good idea to humble the owl lady somewhat.

With a snap of his fingers, the Owl lady simply _stopped._ Paralyzed in mid-flight, even as he floated towards her he could feel her battering against the restraint.

“Impressive, most impressive- I have to admit none have pushed me quite like you in, well I cannot recall just how long.” It feels odd, complimenting someone who has been his enemy for years, but it would be dishonest not to remark on the titanic strength she possessed.

“Why don’t you let me go, and I’ll show you something impressive.” She growls, and thrashes around even more violently against her restraints.

He resists the urge to laugh, bringing up a hand from within his robes, he points a singular finger forwards, glowing red with arcane might.

She thrashes and growls, untill she goes still, very, _very_ still. Her eyes snap to the tip of his finger, where a small orb the size of a grape is forming, it’s strangely beautiful, swirling patterns of black and purple and the purest white she’s ever seen. 

And then, it expands, ever so slightly, the size of a moderately sized tangerine, and she can _feel_ the power within it pulse. It’s- it’s _terrifying._

She supposes the best comparison she has is standing at the foot of a dam, watching as cracks form in its walls and concrete crumbles before the titanic might behind it. All that’s comprehendable of the situation is one thing-, should the barrier fall, should it buckle beneath the power contained within, there is _nothing_ she could do, except die. She doubts she would have time to let one last scream rip its way out of her throat.

Then, to her utter horror, it grows again, and again, and again,. Uuntil it matches the size of the Owl house.

And then, his finger lifts.

The orb rockets off into the atmosphere, and both of them look at it as it disappears.

There’s a sense of ominous foreboding, as if something big is about to happen, and Eda does her best to prepare herself.

_She’s not ready._

There’s the faint sensation of winds picking up, and then- for the briefest of moments, there are two suns that light up the sky.

Eda can’t help but feel her throat go dry, as she realizes just _what_ she’s looking at.

As soon as it appears, the faux sun vanishes again, and Eda finds her restraints gone, and she falls for a good twenty feet before remembering the can fly. She vaguely notices Belos floating down to her level, staring at her all the while.

“Now then, might we talk?” 

\--

Five minutes later, they are both sitting in Eda’s living room, and the silence that stretches on between them is one of the most awkward ones she has ever sat through. King’s currently not in the house. Probably still looking for Lilith as she’d asked him to do earlier, and- to her shock- Belos had actually knocked Hooty out with that last “knock” of his, so they wouldn’t be bothered by him for at least a good while.

Belos breaks the silence, to Eda’s surprise.

“Apologies for the sudden intrusion, but I did not come here to fight, merely to… Talk.”

Eda almost wants to scoff, that seemed logical. She was still a bit shaken up by the Emperor’s show of power. Still confuses her for a bit, because what the hell would he want to talk about?

Her eyes widen as she realizes, and she growls a warning at him.

“Luz is not here, and even if she was. I’m not gonna let you barge in here and just do- whatever it is you want. You’ve hurt the kid enough, you bastard.”  
  
The sigh he lets out at that is one that rattles her to the core, and she’s forced to pay attention to something- anything else, like how ridiculous he looks crammed into that chair, because otherwise she might start reading into that sigh.

“It was... not my intent, to cause her any form of distress.”

Eda scoffs at that. “Sure, and yet every time she seems to come into contact with you, I end up having to comfort her.”

“I have had… _Many_ failings when it comes to Luz. But I am not here for her at this point in time.” He fixes her a look, and she swears she can see two glowing blue rings beyond his mask. “I am here to talk to _you._ ”

“Well, what do you want?”

He sighs once more, and he seems to deflate on the spot. “The decision I made, with regards to revealing her parentage, was one borne out of a logical train of thought and necessity. It was… _leaked_ that I was her father, and I saw no better option.”  
  
Eda cuts him off then “No better option than just revealing it like that? To the entirety of the isles?! Without even asking her first?!” He cannot help but flinch at the words.

_Harsh, but true._

“Do you have any idea how big of a target you’ve painted on her back? _Every_ wild witch on the isles is going to be wanting a piece of her, never mind the fact that she can’t even go to school normally because they all treat her like she’s just your kid, and not her own person.”

All things that Gwendolyn had brought to his attention prior to the Owl Lady enforcing it, yet it does not hurt any less.

“I know, and even still I do not regret the decision I made- merely the fact I did not bring it to her attention first.”  
  
“Why did you even do it? Couldn’t handle the fact your kid got away, so you decide to pull this? To try and force her back to you? Seems kinda out of character for someone who seems to have shown no interest in her very existence these past fourteen years.”  
  
He doesn’t know if it’s the jape, or his thoughts wondering if that is how Luz thinks of him, but he shoots to his feet, pinning the wild witch with a glare that promises agony and death.

“Do. Not. Presume. To. Know. Me.” He growls out, causing the room to shake with the force of his baritone as his temper frays. After a few moments of tense silence, however, he deflates, crashing back down into his chair as the anger leaves him.

“I will not tell you the full details, but there are forces working in the shadows, ones that would see her tortured to death for the crime of being my daughter. Revealing her as the rightful heir to the throne of the isles has put her in a spotlight, one from which they cannot take her, and it has put tens of thousands of witches, demons and the like in a position where keeping her safe is to their own benefit as well, be it simply for a reward, or some sense of obligation to me.” He finishes, and lets the information sink in, causing the room’s temperature to drop somewhat as he looks at the owl lady.

She does not vocalize her thoughts, but he can see the emotions that flit across her mind by her microexpressions- the way her brow furrows, her eyes dart around, how her ears twitch and her nose scrunches up. 

After a while, she nods. And he nods in return, an unspoken agreement forming.

Then, quickly as that- her expression shifts into the smuggest of grins.

“So, she really kicked your ass?”  
  
He lets out a surprised back of laughter, one that has the owl lady’s face pull itself into a look of pure disturbed horror. “She bested me, a trick I had never even dared to expect, and she pulled it off _spectacularly_.” He doesn’t even try to combat the underlying tone of pure pride that seeps into his voice at the admission. It had been a masterstroke.

“That kid has a knack for surprising people.” 

“Indeed she does.” He agrees. “A keen mind, probably the only resemblance she has to me.”

That causes her to look at him weirdly, there’s a question in her gaze, and he knows it.

_Why are you speaking so fondly of someone you abandoned._ He wants to get angry at it, but finds himself unable to. He supposes it is only the logical assumption to make. Nevertheless, it is not one he is comfortable having people live with.

“There was an… incident.” He admits, omitting as much of the truth as he can, whilst trying to make her understand. “One that robbed me of my memories, I didn’t even know she existed before the trip to the castle. I found out the same day she did.”

She nods. “Still, this doesn’t really compute with last I saw you, all “do this for me. And I shall let the others go” y’know what I’m saying?”  
  
He nods. “At that time, I was merely aware of my having a daughter. The circumstances surrounding her birth were still foreign to me.”  
  
“But not anymore?”  
  
He nods. “But not anymore.” 

With a snap of his finger, a book manifests in his hand. His personal grimoire, he flips through the pages before finding the one he’s looking for, a singular photograph. He carefully extracts it from the page, before handing it to the ow lady.

Neither of them will ever mention the fact Edalyn Clawthrone actually cooed at the picture, before her gaze snaps up to meet Belos’

“Is this?” She says, looking at the photo. It’s been hastily made, it seems. There’s a tired looking woman laying on a hospital bed, and in her arms is a tiny swaddled figure. There’s a third figure in the photo as well, looking adoringly at the baby.  
  
He nods. “The twentieth of December, the day she was born. an “Average” birth, they said, thirteen hours of labour. But at the end of it, there she was.”

“She’s adorable.”

“Indeed she is.”

She points at the third figure, a pale man with black hair. “Is that you?”  
  
He nods. “yes.”  
  
He cannot help but cringe at the wolf whistle she lets out. 

“Please don’t.”

  
She scoffs. “You’re too easy.”

She hands him the picture back, and with the greatest care he slots it back into the book, before returning it back to its pocket dimension.

“I’m at a crossroads currently.” He admits, and Eda looks at him questioningly.

“To me, it’s been moments since I’ve last held her in my arms. To her, it’s been fourteen years and I’m for all intents and purposes- a stranger.” He sighs, a hand reaching up under his mask to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I have no idea what to do.”

“Apologize.” She says, as if it’s the most logical thing in the world.  
  
He looks at the Owl lady again, listening with rapt attention as he beckons her to continue.

“You messed up, and she’s dealing with the consequences right now. Apologize to her, show her that you take her into account as well. And from there on out? Well all you can do is extend a hand, and hope she takes it.” She admits, and Belos mulls over the words for a bit, before sighing.

“Is there no other way? I agree when it comes to apologizing, but- I’d like to be in her life. Is that not too much to ask?”

Eda shrugs.”You’re right, you have a right to want to be in your daughter’s life- But.” She adds.”Luz has the same right to want you in her life, and at the end of the day, it’s her choice.”  
  
He finds no fault in that logic, and lets out another pained sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Damn right I am.” She smirks, before standing up. “Here, follow me.” She says, walking into the kitchen.

He follows her, ducking underneath the doorway and following the owl lady. As he enters the kitchen, his brow furrows, looking at her questioningly.

“What is all this?” He says, gesturing to the pile of assorted things on the kitchen table.

“These.” She says, picking up what looks like some sort of music box. “Are gifts for Luz. People were all but throwing them at me when I went into town.”  
  
“Is that… a kitchen sink?” He asks, tone a mix of horror and fascination as he points at the offending object.

“Yup.” She says, popping the “p” as she shoots him a look. He ignores it, instead looking over the pile, curiosity driving him forward as he spots various trinkets within the pile.

Pieces of candy, tomes of magic, clothes, the aforementioned sink, even a few pieces of jewelry. Then, he spots something, and his hand dives into the pile, coming out with a few pieces of paper.

It takes all of his willpower not to rip them apart, when he realizes what they are.

_Marriage offers._ There’s at least a dozen of them here

“Edalyn.” He manages to grit out, somehow keeping his voice just above a growl. “I know we have had our differences-”  
  
“Like you branding me a criminal, and trying to get me executed?” She scoffs, crossing her arms.

“Indeed, I understand your anger at me- though should you wish to work some of it off… “ He hands her the stack of papers, and her eyes flit across them rapidly, before thunder settles in her voice and her tone matches his own.

“Alright. You got yourself a deal.” She says, stuffing the stack of papers in her hair.

A silent understanding forms between the two of them. An understanding that meant that, even despite their animosity, and the fact they likely would, _at best,_ barely be able to tolerate each other, they had one thing in common. 

They would make those that tried to take advantage of Luz _suffer._

“Very well, now. Would you mind directing me to her room?”  
  
“What for?”  
  
“I have a gift- and an apology.”

\--

When Luz came home that night, she was still a bit in shock from the day’s events. Amity had explained what the demon had intended in regards to asking her to that ball, and Luz had barely kept herself upright as she laughed at the idea.

Oh that was going to be one hell of a tale to tell Eda.

She barged into the Owl house, taking only a moment to notice Hooty unconscious and with a rapidly darkening eye. Eda was on the couch, sleeping, though the noise of the door slamming shut woke her.

“Hi Eda!” Luz waved, jumping on the arm rest of the couch.

“Oh, hi kid- how was school?”  
  
Luz giggled. “Well, some guy asked me to the starlight ball-”  
  
Eda was up within moments, shaking Luz “Please tell me you didn’t say yes! _Please, LUZ!”_

“Eda, Eda please stop shaking me.” With a huff the witch let her go, and Luz let out a huff of laughter. No, I didn’t accept, don’t worry Eda. Amity explained everything.

“Well.” Eda huffed. “That’s good. By the way- go check your room, there’s something in there for you. Bonehead had it delivered earlier today”  
  
Luz frowned at that, no doubt confused, but she quickly rushed past Eda, curiosity winning out.

As she opened her room, she couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

It was all her stuff from her room in the Emperor’s castle. Her bedroll was neatly tucked into the corner, to make space for it all.  
  
The massive bed, wardrobe and desk shouldn’t have fit so comfortably within her room- wait, was her room bigger?  
  
She looked at Eda, who just shrugged, mouthing “magic” at the young girl before heading back to the living room.  
  
She notices some of her clothes she’d left at the emperor’s castle neatly stacked up on the desk, and, in the wardrobe, there's a few magical tomes and some papers. She spots some of Belos’ handwriting, and even notices some of the “new” glyphs they had been working on.

With an excited giggle, she launches herself onto her bed, sinking into the mattress.

As she lands, she hears the crinkling of paper. Confused, she opens the comforter, finding a small paper note.  
  
She grabs it, sitting on the edge of the bed as she reads it. It’s in an intricately swirling font, and she has to squint a bit, but the penmanship is immaculate, and it’s pretty easy to read.

~~_My little lig_ ~~ _Luz._ _  
__  
__I apologize, I overstepped._ _  
__  
__I understand now, that I made a mistake._

_I make no excuses._ _  
__  
__I ask for no forgiveness._ _  
__  
__I merely ask you to allow me to make amends._

~~_With lo_ ~~ _Sincerely,_ _  
__  
_~~_Your f_ ~~ Belos. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, done.
> 
> Please feel free to leave any comments/your thoughts below, I love hearing them.
> 
> Also, odd question, but I've been trying to find some songs that fit with this fanfic, any suggestions?


	16. Mending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) has been a massive help with her editing this chapter.
> 
> This chapter was... A mixed bag originally, I think I've rewritten parts of it three times at least, but the end result is one of my favourite chapters yet.

Luz’ opinion of school back home had never been high, for, well…. obvious reasons, (the bullying, the constant talking behind her back, and about twelve more reasons to be specific). In the Boiling Isles, school had become something she looked forward to, because she had friends, she had subjects she actually enjoyed, and she wasn’t an outcast.

Well, that last part might have been damaged somewhat these past few days, but it was still better than back home.  
  
Though, today she really didn’t mind the fact that she had a day off. Yesterday she’d come home to find her entire room overhauled, courtesy of _Belos,_ of all people. Eda had mentioned him coming over and dropping off all the stuff currently in her room before leaving.

Where previously she had complained about the bed being “too soft”, it had felt like heaven under her when she’d gone to bed that night. She supposed the fact she felt at home had something to do with it. Nevertheless, she had slept through her alarm. The alarm she’d forgotten to turn off because today she didn’t have any school… So, silver lining, all things considered.

She was supposed to meet up with Amity, Gus and Willow later today, but right now, she was working on something else.

Her hands were gray from all the graphite, and she’d almost used up half a pencil, but she felt she was onto something. Belos had left a few tomes of his own research on the matter in her new wardrobe, and she’d begun looking through them.

The first one, two- four pages were literally just a repeat of the words “DO NOT TRY, INCOMPLETE RESEARCH.” And Luz was struggling to not feel offended at the apparent lack of faith.

Then again, she had almost dissolved her hand, so. He _might_ have a point.

It had taken a while to make sense of the thick leather bound tomes, but eventually she had hit a breakthrough.

She didn’t understand half the words he used, but there were some consistent themes throughout the papers. It seemed as if they all concluded that a circle was the part that caused the normal reaction.

Luz had, of course, made the logical assumption that one needed to just draw the glyph without the circle in order to make it work. That hadn’t worked, problem with her current testing being- she didn’t have a clue as to if she was right, or if it was just circumstances.

To activate the circle-less glyphs, one would have to pour magic into the rune itself, and Luz _knew_ she did possess some magic of her own, Belos himself confirmed that. Hell, it was the entire reason as to why she was playing around with these glyphs in the first place- as an intermediary for her between “true” magic and her glyphs.

Luz still worried about that “true magic”. The Emperor had mentioned it being a thing only summonable by those of extreme mental focus and fortitude, and Luz _really_ wouldn’t put herself into either of those groups, personally.

_Maybe I can ask him?_

The thought has crossed her mind, a few times actually. But she still had a few- well a _fair few-_ reservations about that. Her eyes drift to the letter, propped up against the wall as it was.

_Make amends?_ What did he mean by that?

Luz had asked Eda, and whilst her reply had come with a fair bit of grumbling and more than a dozen japes at the man, she did begrudgingly admit that he seemed sincere.

And that just brought with it something more, didn’t it?  
  


“Ah, should I?” Eda would probably declare her insane for talking to herself, but really the Owl lady had awfully little room to judge.

“What if he’s serious?” That night, as she’d escaped the castle- when he’d reached out to her with words that carried nothing but admiration in them- it had freaked her out massively, then. Hell, it freaked her out _now._

Eda had mentioned that she was to feel _no_ obligation towards him, after all- what was there to be obligated to? If she wanted to reach out, it would be fully her own choice.

And that was just the problem.  
  
It was _her_ choice, and she had no idea _what_ to choose.  
  
She needed some time to think about it.

_Maybe…_

A quick glance at her phone made her frown. She needed to be in Bonesborough in an hour. She might as well call it quits for today.

As she made her way downstairs, she noticed something, well. A lack of _someone_ . Eda had sent King out to find Lilith yesterday, and she’d assumed that her not noticing him earlier today had been because he’d just fallen asleep somewhere out of sight, he had a habit of doing that.  
  
But, when she came downstairs well past noon, and there was no patter of little feet and a demand for her phone. That confused her greatly, so she tried to track down Eda.

Track down might be too great a word for it, she supposed. She just followed the sound of snoring, Eda had fallen asleep at the kitchen table.

“Eda?” Luz tried, whispering into the witch’s ear.  
  
 _Nothing._

She tried it a little louder, and all that accomplished was a muffled “go away.” Shaking didn’t work, and she’d even tried to coax the witch from her slumber by waving some food in front of her nose. Unsuccessful, as the prior three attempts had been.

Her eyes drifted away from the sleeping witch, her gaze coming to rest on something else. Owlbert, propped up against the wall just behind Eda.

_That might work._

Grabbing Owlbert, she moved over back to where Eda was sleeping. She muttered a quick apology to the tiny wooden owl before bringing the staff up-  
  
And giving Eda a tap on the head.

The Owl Lady shot up like a woman possessed, hair rinkling with a myriad of do-hickeys as her eyes darted around the room, hand flying into her hair to massage her scalp as her gaze landed on Luz, still holding Owlbert. The girl gave her most innocent smile whilst trying to hide the staff behind her… Which worked for all of five seconds before Owlbert came alive and perched on her shoulder.

“Ow kid, what was that for?” 

“Uh, sorry Eda. I was just wondering, where’s King?”

“Uhhhh.”  
  
Luz frowned as the old witch scratched her head. “Eda, don’t tell me you forgot where he is?”

“Of course I didn't,” She muttered. Before her eyes went wide. “I sent him after Lilith.” She muttered in horror. “I sent him after her _yesterday.”_

Luz’ expression morphed into one of horror, mimicking Eda’s own. “Lilith still hasn’t been back?!”

Eda began pacing at that, looking ever more concerned and horrified with each passing moment. “She said she was just running some errands, but with her now being covenless and- by the titan there was a mob yesterday, what if they trampled her?!” It was honestly freaking Luz out, seeing Eda lose her calm like this. 

“Luz, stay here in case they show up again. I’ll head into town, maybe someone there knows what happened.” Eda said, Luz tossed Owlbert to her as she marched past, into the living room, Luz following close behind.

As if the universe had heard them, a voice called out, followed by the sound of the door slamming open.

“I’m baaack! Oh ,and I brought Lilith!”

Standing in the doorway was King, looking awfully proud of himself, and behind him- _yikes_.

Her hair was messy and poofed up, there was mud caked on her dress in a dozen different places, stitches torn and fabric ripped. Her face was pale, mascara smudged and lips cracked, eyes bloodshot and posture slumped.

She looked like she’d just gone twelve rounds with a basilisk.

“Lily?”

“Edalyn.” Lilith replied in a voice that could _almost_ be mistaken for that of a functional human being, before walking over and throwing herself down onto the couch.

“Uh, King?” Luz said, scooting over to the diminutive demon. Eda was frozen, looking at Lilith in shock.

“Yeah?”

“Where did you find her?”  
  
“A tavern out near stink bear swamp.”  
  
“What.” Eda hissed. “That’s one of the most dangerous places in the isles! It’s full of thieves and murderers! How the hell did _you_ end up there, Lilith?”

Lilith merely shrugged, not really meeting her younger sister’s gaze. Eda and Luz just shot each other concerned looks before the owl lady sighed, moving next to her sister on the couch, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Lilith, are you alright?” the aforementioned witch just shrugged off the hand, muttering “I’m fine”

“Uh Eda, I think I should head out, y’know just for a bit.” Luz muttered. This was definitely not something she was comfortable getting involved with.

“Take King with you.” Eda said, making a motion with her hand for them to scram. Luz nodded, scooping up King.

  
“Wait, but I just got back!” the dog-like demon squeaked before being carried out of the house, the door slamming shut causing the raven haired Clawthorne to flinch.

“Well, they’re gone.” Eda said, before turning to her sister. “Now, spill.”  
  
Finally Lilith deigned it appropriate to look her sister in the eye, only to give a tired glare. “I told you Edalyn, I’m _fine.”_

The owl lady snorted. “Bullshit.” 

“Excuse me?”

Eda gave her sister a once-over, before gesturing to her current state of being. “Look at yourself Lily, I can practically smell the bogwater in your hair.” 

“I- I slipped, that’s all.” 

Eda’s hand shot out into the untamed mess that was her sister’s hair, pulling out what looked like- was that a cork?  
  
“Slipped, huh?”  
  
Lilith’s glare deepened. “Oh, like you haven’t done worse Eda, I don’t see why it’s such a big deal.”  
  
“Oh, you’re right. I _have_ done worse, but it’s _me_ we’re talking about her, y’know? Wild witch of Bonesborough, the owl lady and all that, I’m pretty sure there’s even a few bedtime stories where they use me as an example of what not to do.” She couldn’t quite help the prideful snicker that passed over her lips, but looking at Lilith sobered her expression quite quickly.

“But, that’s _me_ , not you. Please, Lilith, what’s going on? I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Lilith’s scoff had her confused. “Oh, I didn’t know you cared.”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”  
  
“Eda, I’ve been gone two days, if it had been the hu- _Luz-_ you would have turned the isles upside down.”  
  
“Because you’re a grown woman, and she’s a _child._ ”

Another scoff, this one had Eda’s temper fraying, she grabbed her sister by the shoulders, forcing her to face the other woman.

“What. Is. Going. On.” She made sure to enunciate every syllable. It might have sounded like she was talking to an infant, but right now she didn’t really care much.

“Nothing is _wrong_.” Lilith said, leaning in closely and spitting out the words as if they were venomous. Eda’s nose caught a whiff of something then.

_Alcohol and vomit._

“You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?” It wasn’t an accusation, merely a statement- yet it had the same effect. Lilith flinched back as if slapped, glare replaced by an expression of shock.

_Bingo._

Just as quick as it had opened up, her expression became guarded once more, a sneer on her lips as she scooted farther away from the other witch.

“I don’t see why it should concern you, you’re too busy playing house with _Belos’ daughter._ ”

Ok, now Eda’s patience was wearing mighty thin. She stood up, levelling a glare of her own down at her sister.

“Okay, what the _hell_ is your problem with Luz, anyways?”

“Besides the fact that she’s that bastard’s daughter? You _hate_ him, why the hell are you so ok with her?”  
  
“You of all people should know not to hold someone’s family against them.” Eda growled, remembering how it had been after she’d been declared an outlaw, how her own parents had turned their backs on her.

_She hadn’t even been at their funeral._

But those thoughts were for another time, and as much as her words hurt, Eda knew she didn’t mean them. Lilith had a temper- she tended to lash out when on the back foot, and from experience, she knew all she needed to do was keep her temper in check and keep pushing.

_Not that Lilith was making it easy, with all her comments towards Luz._

“That’s different Edalyn, and you know it!” Her sister said, shooting up off the couch herself, only to stumble for a bit- Eda resisted, though _barely so_ , the urge to reach out and steady her sister- or slap her.

She crosses her arms instead, lest one or the other urge rises up. “How?”

_That about does the trick._ Eda notices the way Lilith’s hands ball up into fists, how her arms begin shaking and how her back goes ramrod straight. _Here it comes._

“I-I, I lost _everything_ because of her.” Lilith spits out, and Eda’s vision goes red.

“ _What?_ ” She hisses, stepping forward with a look of thunder in her eyes. “Last I checked, the only reason you’re still _alive_ is because of Luz? Or have you perhaps forgotten that Belos was going to have you **_petrified?_ ** _”_

Lilith looks at her, unflinching- before she responds.

“So?”

And just like that, Eda’s entire world shakes from the foundations upward, as the weight behind that word washes over her. Ice settles in her gut as tears well up in her eyes.

“Lily-” She says, reaching out a hand, Lilith bats it aside. The dam has broken, it seems. Thick dark trails of mascara pour down her ivory white cheeks as her shoulders begin heaving.

“I spent almost three decades _hunting you_ , trying to force you into a coven you had no intention of joining because I thought Belos would cure your curse.”

“You didn’t know how bad the curse was, you said so yourself.” Eda tried, it brokered very little result.

“Doesn’t make it right, now does it?” Lilith growled, the look in her eyes almost scaring Eda, before a sob wracked her body again.

“You lost so many years, because of **_me_ ** . I was supposed to be your sister, _DAMN IT ALL_ . You were an outcast, disowned, vilified and scorned because of me. And I just kept hounding you, hoping I could make up for a mistake without having to own up for it.”  
  
The temperature just seemed to drop, as Lilith continued her tirade, the elder Clawthorne unravelling beneath her own words.

“I used the kid as _bait,_ Edalyn, a **_child_ ** , and for _what_ ?! Belos lied to me, and I almost got you killed.” A laugh bursts forth from her lips. It’s broken, and ugly, and _tired_. Essentially, it sums up what Eda thinks of her sister’s current state.

“And where am I now? My life’s goal is in ruins, I’m homeless, and you ended up free of the curse because the kid just… _Asked nicely.”_

“I suppose it’s only fair, y’know. What goes around comes around and all that.” She sighs, fidgeting with her hands in her lap, before turning to Eda again.

“There’s one thing I don’t understand, however.”

Eda frowns. “What?”  
  
“Why don’t you hate me? After all that, how can you even stand to be in the same room as me? I can’t even look at myself in the mirror most days- and yet you offered me a place to stay, after everything, _why?_ ”

Eda lunges forth at that, sweeping her sister up in a tight hug.

“Because, even after all that, you’re still my _sister,_ Lily.” She says, as if it’s the only reasonable answer.

Lilith buries her head in the crook of Eda’s neck, weeping openly as her sister traces circles on her back. 

After what feels like an hour, as Lilith’s tears begin to dry, Eda slowly disentangles the two of them.

It feels as if there’s an invisible weight lifting from their shoulders, like a chapter has been closed. And Eda supposes trying to open it back up right now would not be a good call.

Maybe someday they can talk about it, but not right now, but something needs to be made clear first.

“Lily, you can _always_ come to me for help. We’re family, remember?” Eda says, handing Lilith a tissue. She smiles in return, using the paper to wipe away some of her black tear tracks. 

“Alright.”

“So, spill. What have you been getting up to these past few days?” There’s a knowing grin on her face and Lilith huffs, but rolls her eyes good naturedly and begins to tell of her escapades.

She tells of going into town, about getting sidetracked and of a few EC members scoffing at her, Eda asks their names, planning to add them to the list Belos had given her- and if Lilith just so happens to give them to her, well they both can just deny it ever happening. After that it had been downhill, with her eventually deciding to just pick a bar and drink something.

Lilith’s about to go into what had happened at said bar, a series of events that had led to her crashing on Gwendolyn’s couch, when her cheeks go red and she buries her head in her hands.

“I’m an utter fool.” She whines, Ccausing Eda to drape an arm across her shoulder.

“I mean, that’s not news, but I have a feeling this is gonna be juicy.”

There’s a glare thrown her way, but it’s half strength at best, no real anger put into it. 

“I kinda have a date, this friday.” She says, after a beat.

Eda blinks.

“What?”  
  
“Don’t tell me you’ve gone senile Edalyn, I said a _date_ , you know? The ones people go on?”  
  
Eda just looks at her blankly. “That’s what I mean.” she says- utterly shocked. The glare Lilith shoots her then is a more genuine one.

“So, who’s the lucky lady?” It’s been like fifteen years since Lilith’s shown interest in well, _anyone_ , and she was _not_ passing up the chance at some gossip.

“You know that little apple blood boutique? The one you sent me to like, a week or two ago?”

Eda actually cackled at that. “Oh, Gwendolyn?”

“Yeah he-.” Lilith’s mouth clicked shut. She looked at Edalyn questioningly. “How do _you_ know her?”  
  


“Know her?!” Edalyn guffawed. “Luz used some of her stock to turn ol’ triclops’ kid into a floodlight.”  
  
Lilith blinked. “That’s a…. new one.”  
  
“I know right? Kinda wish I would have come up with that.”  
  
“You’d just use it to turn Odalia purple.”  
  
“Can you really blame me for wanting to do that?”  
  
Lilith paused for a moment, before shaking her head fondly. “I suppose not. It would have been quite amusing- her reaction, that is.”  
  


“Enough about pranks of times long past, how did _you_ score a date with Gwen?”  
  
“Gwen? Didn’t know the two of you were on such familiar terms.” Eda’s eye roll was almost palpable at the comment. “Relax, not gonna “steal your date” or anything like that, she hangs out with Luz and her friends a lot, something about a clearing few hills over from Bonesborough.”  
  
Lilith grew concerned. “You wouldn’t happen to be referring to the one with the abandoned _apple critter nest,_ right?”  
  
“Yeah, that’s the one. She’s essentially there to make sure none of ‘em get themselves killed. Maybe you can _tag along_ some time, eh?” Lilith batted away her sister’s teasing elbow.

“Oh stop it, you’re horrible, besides.” Worry began to seep into her tone. “I don’t even know if I’m going on that date.”

“Why not?”

“I- I don’t know, I just- it wouldn’t be fair.”

“How’s that?”  
  
“Well, look at the state of me, Edalyn.” She gestures to herself. “Is it really right to just saddle someone up with me right now?”  
  
“Lilith, it’s just a first date, maybe nothing will come of it, maybe you’ll just become friends, and maybe there might actually be something there. There’s nothing wrong with just- giving it a try.”

“I- I suppose you’re right.” 

Eda hits her on the arm at that. “Damn right I am. Besides, it was about time you started seeing people again. No offense, sis, but your track record is _terrible._ ”  
  
Lilith shot her an unamused look, though the tone of her voice betrayed her exasperated amusement. “Really? “Terrible.” And this is coming from the woman with twenty exes? I’m pretty sure half of them still have bounties on your head.”  
  
Eda blew her off. “Eh, you win some you lose some. Now, you are gonna tell me how it is you acquired yourself a date, in _great_ detail.”

\--

Gwendolyn was many things.

Assassin? Yup. Eternal pain in Belos’ side? Most definitely. Bonafide apple blood kingpin? Well, she was still working on the last one.

Point being, she was a lot of things.

A good leader? Nope.

And yet here she was.

_She was willing to bet on this being Belos’ way to take revenge for all the japes she threw his way._

The emperor’s coven, to most people on the isles, was simply the most powerful of the covens. Its members were known throughout the isles because of their signature cloak and masks.

Well, _most_ of its members.

There were a few sub-groups within the coven, and none save Belos, Gwen and Kikimora were privy to their existence. 

Kikimora handled finance, infrastructure and things to that extent. Important, but not something to bother their emperor with on the regular. It was to make sure the isles ran smoothly.

Gwendolyn, however? She was the emperor’s personal assassin and guard, along with being his prime intelligence gatherer.

At least, that was the part of her job she _liked_.

Turns out, being Belos’ third in command also brought with it some level of- _ugh. Responsibility._

At the very least, it was a lot less than Kiki had to deal with. Gwen maybe had to settle things once every few months. Didn’t mean she liked it but- whatever. 

Things were going well for the most part. A few “customers” had stopped by, paying for a few vials of apple blood, and paying with small bags of snails. Bags that carried small strips of encoded information.

Most of them were in and out within moments. A few stopped for some small talk, and she begrudgingly indulged them, though speaking in codes for a full conversation was annoying.

_Well, it could be worse._ She supposed. One small benefit of being part of the emperor’s coven was not having to do her own taxes. She’d honestly rather _die_ than do those.

Her mind wasn’t fully in the here and now, however. She was thinking of something else.

Mainly, friday, at five o’clock.

A small dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks, and the assassin opposite her quirked an eyebrow.  
  
She just shot them a glare, and they scurried out of the shop as fast as their feet could carry them.

_At least I’ve still got it._ She smirked, before a thought crossed her mind, and her head fell into her hands.

“I’m gonna have to go shopping, aren’t I?”

\--

Two days later.

The emperor’s castle was a bastion, built upon black stone jutting out from a chasmous abyss filled with petrified bone and razor sharp rocks the size of trees, all shaped into the form of so many teeth. Some in the Isles had called it the maw of hell. Dozens of outposts were littered around the edges of the massive chasm, each stationed by two dozen guards. It had been a structure the emperor had commissioned within his first year of rule. The full construction had taken three whole years, and it had held against everything the isles had thrown at it, from rampaging wild witches to storms of cataclysmic power.

It was, for all intents and purposes, impenetrable, and getting out was an even more arduous task. And yet, one person had managed to escape its walls, at the time dismissed as a “mere human” who had, after this daring stunt, become known to the masses as the emperor’s own child.

Luz Noceda.

That very same Luz Noceda was currently walking back _towards_ the castle, a pair of guards flanking her as she made her way to the retractable bridge that was the only way into- and out of- of the castle.

Said girl was currently trying to make small talk with her escorts, carrying her bag which was filled with a load of sketches and some research she’d done in the past few days regarding these special glyphs.

Had you told her last week that she’d be coming back here _of her own volition_ , she probably would have laughed.

And yet, here she was.

Waiting for that bridge to fully extend itself so she could walk into the veritable belly of the beast again.

For some reason, it didn’t feel quite as scary as it probably should have.

With the shrieking sound of steel grinding against steel, the bridge slammed into place, massive clamps coming from underneath to lock it in place.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the bridge, the clamps disengaged, and the mechanisms began whirring again, pulling the massive contraption back inwards.

She had a few things to ask him, about the glyphs, her magic, and- well, he’d made the offer. And she’d have to admit, she was curious as to what “make amends” meant to him.

\--

To say Belos was surprised was, well, an understatement. When the doors to his throne room opened he had expected Kikimora, or perhaps Gwendolyn.

Quite frankly, he’d sooner have expected _Lilith._  
  
And yet Luz walked through those doors, leaving him gobsmacked. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the guards as he stood up, coming down the steps from his throne to meet the girl walking towards him.

The pair regarded each other for a moment, neither sure of what to say, before Luz- with a sigh, grabbed her satchel, opening it and pulling out- a stack of papers?  
  
She presented it to him, and he accepted it readily.

  
“I might have some ideas with the glyphs, could you help me?”  
  
He looked to the paper, and then to her.

“I’ll clear my schedule.”

\--

A few moments later, they were back in the council chambers, a room the two of them had grown quite accustomed to during Luz’ forced stay at the castle. This was the first time she’d been here since that night.

Belos had taken his place at the head of the table, Luz sliding into the chair next to him, sitting on her knees on the chair as she distributed her findings over the table.

“So, have you found anything?” He asked, looking over the stack of papers deposited on the table.

“Well, like you seem to have concluded, it’s the circle that kick starts it, I was wondering if just taking away the circle would allow you to use your own magic to kickstart it, instead of it consuming the thing it’s on.”

“And you came to me, because I currently have control of my magic, whilst you still don’t. Clever.” He finished her train of thought, she nodded in agreement.

His hand came up, sliding off his left gauntlet, before reaching for her pen. “Only one way to find out, hmm?”  
  
She nodded, handing him the pen, he put it to his skin, before pausing.

“Which glyph do you think we should try first?”  
  
“Uh, I don’t know?”

“Hmm, I’d say we should probably think of which one would have the least disastrous side effects, should things go wrong.” Luz agreed with that, tapping her cheek with a finger.

“Fire?”  
  
“Most likely my hand burns off.”  
  
“Ice?”  
  
“Frostbite and necrosis.”  
  
“Light?”  
  
He just shot her a pointed look at that, or well- she assumed he did. He still had that mask of his covering his face, she rubbed the back of her neck, remembering what had almost happened to her own hand. 

“Well then, what about plants?”  
  
“We-” He paused for a bit. “I don’t know? My fingers turn into daisies?”  
  
“Perfect! We’ll use that one.”  
  
“What?”

She rolled her eyes.”I mean, you were talking about “least disastrous” and all that, and that seems to be the most reasonable one out of all of them.”

He shot her a pointed look. “I’d imagine my hand turning into a _bouquet_ would not be a pleasant experience for me.”  
  
“I mean, yeah. But it would look cool.”

He couldn’t really argue with that, he supposed. So, he got about drawing the glyph atop his hand. 

First the triangle, and the second line within said triangle, then the arrow from the top point of the triangle, after that the circle atop the arrow, and the dot within it. He showed it to Luz, and she looked at him with an approving grin.

“Well, here goes nothing, I suppose.” He muttered, to no one in particular, before focussing. First he sought the magic. It was thick in the air around him. He pulled it within himself, before channeling it into the skin at the back of his left hand, and the glyph atop it.

For a moment, nothing happened, and he wondered if they were going to have to go back to the drawing board, before it lit up green, shining faintly on his skin. He faintly heard an “ooh” from besides and looked at his daughter staring at his hand in barely concealed glee.

Suddenly, he felt something happen, and within the blink of an eye, a single plant blossomed from his hand.

A small, delicate purple foxglove.

“It worked.” Luz muttered, tone full of reverence, before squealing with joy, bouncing up and down in her chair. “It worked! it worked it worked it worked!!” She was moments away from literally jumping out of her chair in joy, it seemed.

He couldn’t help the smile that passed his lips. She took his hand in hers, bringing it closer to her face so she could look at the flower again.

“Do it again!!”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
She rolled her eyes.”Do it again, try changing something, like- can you make a Hyacinth”?

He curled an eyebrow upwards at the request, a warm feeling blossoming in his chest at the request. He didn’t know if she knew, but Hyacinths had been Camila’s favourite flowers.  
  
“Very well.” He obliged her, slowly sliding his hand from her grasp, before concentrating again, repeating the same steps as before, this time with the added step of thinking of hyacinths, and trying to will the magic to form into one of those.

Once again, after a few beats it glowed again, before another flower sprouted out.

A red camellia.

“Huh.” Both of them frowned at the same time, he’d been trying to create a hyacinth, and yet a camellia had popped out.

That seemed like a problem.

“Well, it seems we’ve got step one down, now we just need to figure out how to make it y’know- listen to you.”  
  
He nodded in agreement.

And so, they spent the next half hour trying to figure out how exactly to get that to work, and, as of now, _none_ had worked. Luz seemed to be getting frustrated. She was clutching her pen ever tighter and there was a slight crease to her brows.

“Maybe we should call it done for tonight, we have a basis from which to go forth at least.” He tried, and she sighed, but nodded, putting her pen down with a little more force than necessary.

Silence stretched out at that, and an awkward one it was. Belos tapped his finger on the table once, twice, thrice, before he sighed, turning to his daughter once more.

“I assume you were made aware of your… New room decor?” She looked at him, regarding him for a moment before nodding.

  
“Yeah. I also got a note, I’m assuming you wrote it?”  
  
He nodded. “I’d like to apologize again. For not discussing it with you first, I shall endeavour to discuss things of such a nature with you first in the future, if that is alright with you.”  
  
She shot him a small smile at that. “Yeah, th- that would be good.”

“On a similar note, there is a ball in just under a month. It’s one of the greatest events that the isles have, the leaders of the covens, nobility, rich merchants and of course myself, will be attending.”

Luz had heard of it. The starlight ball, Amity had called it. Apparently, she was going as well. Her siblings weren’t required to come- apparently there had been an incident with some of the braziers the year previously, and her parents had decided it best they hang back.  
  


“Yeah, Amity mentioned it to me before, supposed to be a big deal, right? Why? Do you expect me to come?”  
  
“The Blight girl?” He asked. She nodded. “I am telling you now, because I’d like to ask you, if you would be willing to come.”  
  
She looked at him confused for a bit, before speaking. “You’re _asking_ me?”

“Yes. I did say I intended to ask you in the future, and I am trying to keep that promise.”

She supposed that made sense, but there was no way for her to tell with that mask and all. When that strange bond between them had existed, it had been so easy to call him out on his lies, but right now, it just annoyed her. She was probably an open book to him whilst he himself was able to keep his expressions hidden.

“Luz?” She realized she’d been staring, as Belos’ mask turned to her, cocking to the side slightly in what she assumed to be confusion.

“It’s the mask.” She said, averting her eyes to stare at the table instead. “It just feels weird talking to someone when I can’t see their face, y’know.”  
  
He paused at that for a bit. He’d not showed his face to a new soul in decades. A faceless entity, he had found, was a tool best suited towards emanating an aura of fear and dominance over those he came into contact with. Being able to intimidate without saying a word was a valuable asset.

It seemed silly to utilize such a tactic when all that were in the room were him and his daughter, now that she had brought it to his attention. He pushed his chair backward, standing up before grabbing his mask, setting it on the table before his hand grabbed at the clasp to his hood and cape, shrugging it off and draping it over the back of the chair.

  
He turned to his daughter again, and found her looking at him with an unreadable expression. He combed a hair through his black hair, before scratching at his beard self-consciously, his hand lingering for a moment on the scar parting his right cheek.

“Is this better?” He said, feeling remarkably self conscious under the scrupulous gaze of his daughter.

After a moment, she smiled, a real- genuine smile.

“You look a lot less scary like this.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment.

“I believe that was the point little lig-” He cut himself off at that, mouth clicking shut as he looked wide-eyed. Her expression had shifted to one of confusion.

“You said that before.” He gave her a questioning look. “The nickname, you said it that night in the castle too, little light? I’ve only ever heard my mom call me that, and only when I was younger.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sank back down into his chair. “I- uh,” He stuttered for a bit, before looking at her. “I gave you that nickname, when I first held you in my arms.”  
  
“Wait, I thought you didn’t remember anything about me?” He gave her a guilty look, rubbing the back of his neck before explaining.

“That night, the same night I called you that, my memories were returned to me- I remember it all, now.”  
  
She stared at him for a bit, before-

“Oh.”  
  
 _Oh._ Part of him was disappointed, but he supposed it was only fair. The silence returned then, more comfortable this time, but it was slowly sinking back into awkwardness.

And then, she spoke up again.

“How did you and mom meet?”  
  
He snorted. _Of course that would be the first thing she asked._

“She hit me with her car.” He said, and she broke into peals of laughter. He allowed himself a small smile at the joyful laughter, before his mood soured again.

_I’ve missed fourteen years of this._ He bitterly thought, before something shook him from his thoughts- literally.

Looking to his side, he found Luz with her hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him.

“C’mon, tell me more.”  
  
“Well, alright.” He said, as he launched into an animated retelling of his meeting with the woman who had stolen his heart. And, as he spared at glance at her enraptured look at his tale, a single thought crossed his mind, one that filled him with a warmth he had scarcely felt before.

_Maybe, just maybe- there was a chance at building something from this._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is, character development and the first true father-daughter interaction between Luz and Belos.
> 
> As per usual, comments, feedback, kudos and the like are always welcome, I love reading them and responding so keep em coming!


	17. Relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since AO3 is being shit I can't really link StormySkiesAhead right now, but check out her fics they are amazing

In the Blight household, there were… Cues that everyone tended to pick up on. The maids usually knew to make themselves scarce whenever Odalia’s smile got a _little_ too wide, the twins knew that, when their father emerged from his study, pulling a prank was a good way to get grounded for a month, and Amity knew that getting anything less than an A- would result in… Dire consequences.

Those were the really obvious ones. There were more subtle ones- the word “please” coming from their mother had even the twins scrambling over each other to do whatever she had asked, otherwise facing her wrath was all but guaranteed. On the opposite side of the spectrum, their father rarely demanded anything, but if he asked something of you- you _did_ it. 

Amity had learned them all during the years, whether it be via the twins or- on significantly rarer occasions- due to her finding these things out of her own accord.

So, when Odalia had told Amity that she was not to leave the house before her father had visited her for a “talk”, she had obeyed- what else could she do?

She was currently studying in her room. There was a big abomination essay due next week and she needed to make sure she scored highest in her class.

It kept her mind off of the possible things her father would want to discuss with her. She was currently writing a chapter on different types of abomination muck and their benefits when it came to their offensive and defensive capabilities.

The normal, deep purple goo was a good middle ground. There was another paler, almost pink version that was excellent for smaller, nimble constructs or manipulation techniques. She’d not been able to summon that stuff yet in any major quantities, but she was improving.

There was a third type, and it was universally considered the most difficult form of all. It was near black, thick and with a velvety shine to it, much more solid than the others, historically used to plug up holes in castle walls or batter down gates.

The greatest defensive tool that abomination magic allowed for, and she wrote it down as such.

“You’re thinking too straight forward, Amity.”  
  
Amity almost _jumped_ out of her chair, finally taking notice of the shadow that loomed over her. She’d been so enthralled by her paper that she hadn’t noticed her father entering the room.

Quickly she spun her chair around, looking doe- eyed at her father as he loomed over her.

“F- father, you wanted to see me?”  
  
He nodded, taking a step back, allowing Amity the room to get off of her chair. She stood up immediately, falling into a proper posture. Back straight, arms behind her back, chin forward- just like mother had taught her.

His gaze was impassive, expression falling into a stony mask that she’d never been able to see through, but there was an odd shine to his eyes this time.

“Follow me.” He said. “And bring your essay.” His tone gave away nothing, and Amity couldn’t help but raise a questioning eyebrow as he turned on his heel and began making his way out of the room.

“A- are we going to your study?”  
  
He halted, shooting her a look over his shoulder. “No, we are going outside- the backyard, specifically.”

Amity couldn’t help herself, she should- she _does_ know better than to ask her parents too many questions. She’s already toeing the line of disrespect, but there’s something that just runs off with her thoughts and makes her blurt out a quiet.

“Why?”  
  
“To have that discussion your mother informed you about, and-” There’s the slightest quirking of his lips upward, and it throws Amity for a loop. “To correct some of your assumptions regarding abominations.”  
  
She blinks, because this is _not_ something her father does. He’s always busy with the coven, and he’s always mentioned when her mother had suggested it that she was to rise to the top without his help, as a “true blight” would.

She doesn’t know what to expect, the moment she realizes that he is taking her into the backyard to train, but there’s a strangely optimistic caution that flows through her at that.

Even if it was her father teaching her, new knowledge was like a drug to the youngest Blight.

\--

After a few moments she collected her nerves- and her essay, and followed her father into the backyard.

Well, “backyard” really did it a disservice, most of the forests within two miles belonged to the property on which Blight manor was built, so she supposed he was simply referring to the acre of grass directly behind the house, immaculately cared for by the best gardeners money could buy and oftentimes a point of pride for the Blight matriarch. As she opened the back door and stepped onto the wooden patio connecting the house to the yard, she spotted her father.

He was leaning against a massive, gnarly, black-trunked tree that stood alone in the middle of the clearing. It was an heirloom according to her mother, planted by the very first Blights to take up residence within Blight manor. Some sort of magical oak tree, the last of its kind. 

Ed and Em had asked Odalia once to consider letting them build a treehouse in it. They’d been grounded for a month for the mere suggestion.

“Just lay your essay on the table.” He called out, gesturing to the massive table that took up most of the patio next to Amity. She nodded, depositing her papers on it before walking out to meet her father on the grass.

She looked at him once over. He was wearing his signature purple cloak that marked him as the leader of the abomination coven, brown boots, black pants and a brown jerkin with a white undershirt, his face set in that signature monotone mask that she’d come to associate with the man, deep dark brown hair, a shade darker than her own, combed back yet still slightly messy, bushy eyebrows and brown eyes, his lips set in a permanent tight line and his goatee jutting out into a point, giving his entire face an angular appearance.

He took two steps forward from his spot leaning on the tree, meeting Amity in the grass, arms clasped behind his back.

“Show me what you can do.” He said.

Amity nodded, drawing a glowing purple circle in the air, from it poured a mud-like substance that formed into an abomination with the signature command of “Abomination, rise!” 

Alador nodded, face impassive. It stood a foot above his daughter’s own height, nearly able to look him in the eyes, he spotted no imperfections in the abomination itself, no problems with the casting, and from a quick glance at his daughter’s expression, he sensed no difficulty with keeping its shape solid.

_Excellent._

“Well done, now. I saw you were writing on the three main types of summon, correct?” She nodded in response, the abomination nodding along with her.

“I also saw you make some… Presumptions regarding the best applications for said types, correct?”  
  
Her smile faltered, falling into a mildly concerned look, no doubt wondering just what exactly she’d done wrong.

“Like I said earlier, you are thinking of it like some equation, where there is only one right answer, how did you come to such conclusions?” He asked, genuinely curious. Amity stiffened, before answering.

“Our teacher explained it to us in such a way, I had suggested otherwise but that was dismissed as “not being a part of the curriculum” father.”  
  
He frowned, _what kind of short sighted i- oh._

He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a pained sigh before shooting his daughter a look of tired despair.

“Please don’t tell me that Ollanius is still teaching abominations at hexside?”  
  
Amity nodded, and just like that Alador’s day was ruined with the premise of another hour’s worth of paperwork. That man’s teaching had become archaïc when _he_ had been attending Hexside, and they were _still_ allowing that hack to teach? No wonder he was constantly disappointed by new members from Hexside.

Well, that was a weed to rip out roots and stem later, right now he had to rectify some of the bulls- theories that he had been teaching his daughter.

His arms clasped together again behind his back. He took a few steps away from his daughter, before turning to face her again. A finger unlatched itself from its grip on his elbow and drew a small circle.

Within moments, a gigantic abomination appeared behind him, the exact same shade Amity’s one had been.

“The art of abomination magic is one that thrives based on control and preparation.” He said, having the massive clay creature gently scoop him up in its massive hands.

“There is however one thing that simply cannot be accounted for in class.” He took a step forward… Off of the giant hand.

His daughter’s gasp of horror was cut short as he drew a few more circles behind his back, causing a dozen hands to sprout from circles that to his youngest’s eyes appeared as if they had sprung from some sort of void.

Every circle sprouted a massive hand from it, landing on the first one he arranged them into a set of makeshift stairs that he simply walked down, hopping back onto the grass a foot from his daughter’s shocked form with the slightest of smirks on his face.

Without preamble, he de-summoned all the abominations, before turning to look at his daughter.

“Creativity.”

Before the two of them realize it, hours have passed- spent discussing and training with the various types of abominations. By the end of it all, Amity is laying on the grass, panting with exhaustion. A small bead of sweat has broken out that he discreetly wipes from his brow.

A glance at the sun in the sky has him groan as he realizes something, he has totally forgotten to talk to his daughter during the… Admittedly quite fun task that had been guiding her through more advanced abomination magic. 

With a sigh, he lowers himself to the ground. There’s a crick in his back that he normally only feels after rising from his chair following an eight hour day of trying to run his coven, but there’s a pleasant ache in his legs that reminds him he’s spent the day _not_ cooped up in his study for once.

He sets himself down in the cool grass, raising up a knee and laying a hand atop it, before turning to look at his daughter again.

  
  


“So, this _Luz_ is Belos’ daughter?”

He sees Amity stiffen, before she rises up, leaning on both her hands as she looks at him. 

“Yeah, why?”

“Seems quite peculiar, don’t you think? Our Emperor, the greatest of us all, and he ends up having a child with a human of all things.”  
  
She frowns at that, going eyebrows knitting together at the words he uses and he resists the urge to let out a tired sigh.

“Your mother was planning to announce a marriage between you and that Merryweather kid when you turned fifteen, what was his name again? Dustin?, yeah Dustin. I’m sure she’s told you this.”  
  
Her expression of pure horror tells him that no- Odalia had apparently neglected to tell her that. He rubs at his temples, making a mental note to confront her about that at a later date, before opening his mouth again.

“I assume you are not thrilled with the prospect?” He can see the way her jaw clenches, and her eyes dart back and forth. But she says nothing in response, probably already having resigned herself.

He feels a pang of sympathy. He knows where she’s coming from.

“My marriage to your mother was the same way.” He says, looking at the massive black oak. “My parents were merchants, their parents before them too, and before them five generations, all making a fortune shipping goods from one side of the isles to the other. I remember travelling across the boiling seas in massive ships. It was... beautiful.” He closes his eyes, and, just for a moment, he is back on those seas, salt in the air as the breeze carries them forth towards their destination.

“Alas.” He sighs. “We fell on hard times, and my father saw an option. I was put into an arranged marriage with Odalia Blight. The Blights are old nobility from long before Belos’ reign. I was to give up my name and birthright, and in exchange the Blights would make sure our legacy endured…. I think a cousin of mine runs the business, now.”

_More than once had he wished he could have traded places with said cousin._

He turned to his daughter once more, and found himself slightly taken aback by the hollow look in her eyes. She was hugging her knees now, and he could have sworn there was some wetness building up in the corners of her eyes.

“Do you understand what I am trying to say? As a Blight you have an obligation to think of the family name first, marrying for status, not love.” He asks, and she nods, managing a shaky “Yeah.”

He decides in that moment that he cannot leave her in this state any longer, and with a sigh, he just rips the bandage of.

“I don’t think you can do much better than the next in line for the throne, however.”  
  
Her expression freezes, and she goes very, very, _very_ still as she slowly turns to look at him, somehow going even paler than her normal complexion.

He can’t help but let out a small chuckle at the expression.  
  
“I talked to your mother, and well- she doesn’t like it, not at _all_ . But her pragmatic side doesn’t allow her to act on her personal feelings regarding this.”  
  
“Wha- what do you mean?” She asks, nervous.

“I _know_ that the thought of marrying a boy does not seem attractive to you, and not because of it being an arranged marriage. Am I correct?” She nods at that, after a beat.

  
  


“I managed to convince Odalia to reach out to the Merryweathers. There is to be no marriage between you and Dustin, if you can find yourself a more suitable partner before you graduate Hexside.”

He fixes her a look, and spots the exact moment his youngest daughter catches the hidden meaning within the last sentence.

“Oh.” She says, and he can all but _hear_ the static of a broken crystal ball, probably her train of thought right now, he supposes. She flushes an _impressive_ shade of red as her ears begin to twitch, and he cannot help the smile that passes over his lips then.

He married for duty, many he knew have done the same- marrying for love was something the “lower classes” did. Amity has the rare opportunity to do both at once, if what Odalia had said about the Merryweather boy mentioning “Luz” had no particular preference between the sexes is true. He just hopes it works out, for _her_ sake.

“H- how do you even know?” She asks him, apparently her mind having restarted itself in the time his thoughts had taken.  
  
“The moment I asked you about her, in my study, remember?” She flushes at that again, probably realizing, with the benefit of hindsight, that subtlety had not been part of her vocabulary as she’d described her “friend” to her father.

There’s a silence that stretches out between the two Blights then, equal parts comfortable and awkward, as they stare out into the woods.

He should probably offer her some words of encouragement, some sort of advice or maybe even a pat on the back- y’know, like a father would? But it would only feel disingenuous, coming from him.

So, he takes a gamble.

“I suppose the twins ought to change your nickname, Amity?” He says, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

She turns to him, confused.  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Well, I suppose **_S_ ** _mittens_ fits you better, given current circumstances.”  
  
There’s a beat of silence, and then the single most painful groan he’s ever heard passes from his youngest’s lips, burying her face in her hands in embarrassment.

“Daaaaaadddddddd why??”

He cannot help himself, and falls back into the grass, laughing whole-heartedly.

And if his heart did leap for joy, when she’d called him “dad” for the very first time, he made no mention of it.

\--

The next day.

Luz was getting a bit impatient, she had to admit to herself. Amity had wanted to meet with her today, wanting to head to the library and maybe read to the kids again. They’d already gotten through the first Azura book together and it was honestly one of the most fun things Luz had done in ages.

These children, small and… Prone to accidents as they might be, at least appreciated her enthoused playing of the character as Amity read, the two made quite the team. She’d even caught one of the librarians hanging around at the opening on occasion.

Problem was. Amity had agreed to meet her- she took a quick look at her phone- half an hour ago. At the fountain they usually hung out at, when they weren’t in the clearing with Gwen.

It was frankly worrying Luz a little bit.

  
She’d busied herself with some homework- _homework_ , to give you an idea of how bored she was at this point.

Suddenly however, she spotted something from the corner of her eye- a familiar face in the crowd, one that had her quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

What was Lilith doing in Bonesborough?

She was about to hop off the fountain, when she spotted a second- much more familiar- mop of dyed green hair, moving towards her at top speed.

“Amity!” She said, moving to meet the witch, who all but slid to a halt before bending over, both hands on her knees as her chest heaved.

“Are you?-” She began moving forward to try and see what was wrong, only to be cut off by a single finger being raised.

“Give.” _Heave._ “Me.” _Wheeze._ “A moment.” _Whine._ The young witch managed to croak out, sounding like she’d just ran a marathon… Or two, she gave the green haired girl a once over.

_Yeah, definitely two._

“What’s got you in such a state, Amity? Trying to get away from the twins?” She glanced into the crowd, finding no sign of Edric or Emira anywhere in sight.

With a final, desperate heave of her shoulders, Amity pushed herself back upright, looking at Luz again.

“Sorry, I lost track of time.” She said, rubbing at the back of her neck for a bit as her cheeks flushed slightly. Luz just looked at her confused at that.

“Amity Blight, Late?” She teased, poking the aforementioned girl with an elbow. “Seems I’ve been quite the bad influence, huh?”  
  
She just rolled her eyes, scoffing as if the notion was ridiculous. “Oh, you wish.”  
  
“Well then, what’s going on that kept you away?”  
  
Amity stilled for a bit, before responding.

“My dad.”  
  


“Your dad?!” Luz had to bite back her tone from being hateful, but couldn’t quite stop a bit of venom from seeping into her voice. She remembers vividly what Amity’s parents had been like from their adventure in Willow’s mind.

“Yeah… He’s training me?” She said.

“Why did you phrase it like a question?” 

Amity shrugged. “I- it’s weird, dad’s almost never free, and when he is, paying attention to _any_ of us really isn’t what he tends to do, but today- yesterday too, he’s actually trained with me.”  
  
Amity conveniently forgot to mention the thing he’d discussed with her that first day, though it didn’t stop her cheeks from developing a small dusting of pink.

“Well….” Luz said, still really unsure about the whole thing. “That’s good, right- unless he’s pushing you too hard?”  
  
“No, definitely not. It’s just- strange, that he’d take an interest now.” 

That made Luz frown, kinda sad that her own dad, Emperor and… Well, she wasn’t really sure what else to call him, had shown more of an interest in her than Amity’s father was in the witch, and Belos hadn’t even known of Luz for all those years, whilst the Blight girl’s dad had been there the entire time.

She shook her head of those thoughts

“So, you learn something new?”  
  
Amity nodded at that, and Luz took notice of the way her ears perked up.

_Note to self: make a chart of witch ear movement._

The two of them set off then, towards the Bonesborough library, Amity was telling story after story, talking about how she’d learned more in two afternoons with her father than years in Hexside, Luz thought it was adorable to hear how passionate she was.

It seemed, for a moment- as if their positions were reversed, Amity talking animatedly, even stopping on occasions to show Luz exactly what she’d done, and Luz interjecting from time to time with an observation, a question or simply a joke.

  
“So, you went to- y’know the castle, right? Two days ago?”  
  
Luz nodded, grabbing her satchel and pulling out two glyphs, one was her normal one, whilst the second was one of those different ones she and Belos had come up with.

“So, you just… removed the circle?” Amity asked, and Luz nodded, explaining about how it would stop the glyph from… poofing her hand, should it be activated. Amity quickly agreed that was an improvement, but also appeared stumped when Luz brought forth the problem of not being able to control them.

“Wait, I don’t get it, why would someone need these glyphs, they just seem like an inconvenience when you can just do magic normally.” Amity said.

“That’s the problem, I can’t do magic normally, and it’s gonna take decades for me to learn how to, according to y’know… _him._ ” It still felt weird to Luz to refer to the emperor as “dad”, though she had found herself slipping up on occasion regarding that.

“Wait… _What_?” Amity looked at her as if she’d grown a second head.

“You… doing magic? But you’re human, right?” 

“Half… human, technically.” Luz said, and _wow_ did that sound odd. “I don’t have a bile sac like you or Eda, but apparently there’s this other type of magic that doesn’t require it, and it takes like _years_ of training and massive concentration and stuff.”  
  
“Huh.” Amity said. “Yeah, that’s gonna be a problem.” She said, tone teasing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She shot back, prompting a scoff from the Blight.

“Luz, you’d lose your way on a roundabout.” Amity snarked, and Luz laughed. “I resent that.”

“Resent it all you want, we both know it’s true. You make _King_ look like he has a sense of direction.”

Luz didn’t reply, but instead hooked their arms together, pressing herself against Amity’s side with a blinding smile. “Well, it seems- as I am your gallant hero, you shall be my trusty guide.” She shot Amity a wink then, and the girl went _crimson._

Luz was about to comment, when a singular thought caused her train of thoughts to derail, flip upside down, and probably land in a lake.

_Amity’s really cute like that._

As if the Blight was on fire, she lept away, her own cheeks darkening in the face of a realization just made.

Thankfully, as the Blight was about to comment on the state of Luz’ face, the two of them were surrounded by a horde of people.

Both looked questioningly at the crowd, Luz snuck her hand into her satchel whilst Amity dropped into a ready stance.

And then a figure stepped forth.

“Good day everyone, this is Perry Porter, Live from Bonesborough, and today we have a most unexpected guest on our show, none other than Emperor Belos’ daughter herself!”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Luz Noceda, would you like to comment on the current situation regarding the throne of the isles, why were we not made aware of your existence prior, is what is your current relationship with your father?”  
  
Luz’ eyes bugged out as she was bombarded with questions, and suddenly she found the microphone shoved in her face, she shot a glance at Amity who just shrugged helplessly.

_Looks like we won’t be going to the library today after all._

She gulped, they probably weren’t gonna leave without a story.

And then an idea flashed through her mind. And she smirked.

“Well….”

\--

Lilith wasn’t sure about this.

She _really_ wasn’t sure about this.

She’d offered to go into town in Eda’s stead. The owl lady had some other business to attend to anyways, and it allowed her to do something else.

Mainly…. Visiting Gwendolyn.

The thought itself made something bloom in her chest. It was trepidation, and fear, and a dozen other feelings neatly bundled up in a lump that made her breath hitch when she thought about the woman.

On the one hand, Eda had a point. It was merely a single date, and one she had been looking forward to- hell she’d even bought a few clothes for said date.

Didn’t mean she was sure about going, if anything it made it even more difficult for her to decide the correct course of action.

She supposed she could have used some of Edalyn’s devil-may-care attitude right now, but that had never been what she did.

Lilith had been the planner, the one to look at the angles, whilst Eda had always jumped in first, before checking if the pool was full. It had bitten her on the ass a fair few times, but she hadn’t cared.

Lilith sometimes wishes she would have looked at life the same way- as one big river, you’re gonna end up in the sea one way or another, might as well make the ride comfortable- but she’d never been able to.

_And look where that’s gotten me._ A bitter part of her mind says, and she has to shake her head to get rid of it.

Those thoughts, the feelings of- of inadequacy and guilt and regret and jealousy, they’d always been there, gnawing at her composure and influencing her decisions, but they’d become more and more apparent ever since her… _Dismissal_ from the Emperor’s Coven.

Turns out, being alone with those thoughts with no distractions isn’t good for one’s mental health.

As Eda would have said. _“You need a hobby.”_

“Says the woman whose hobby was running away from the law.” Lilith mutters to herself, trekking through the busy markets of Bonesborough on her way to Gwendolyn’s shop.

Titan, she doesn’t remember being so nervous since the Banshees vs Glandis in her second to last year at Hexside- that had been a tough game, pretty sure two of her team had been hospitalized that day… One of them because Eda had dropped the trophy on their feet.

In the midst of her reminiscing, she fails to take note of where she is, and by the time she does, she finds herself standing in front of the boutique, looking through the glass window. She spots Gwendolyn talking to a few customers.

_Last chance._ Her mind screams at her. _Last chance to walk away- ah shit._  
  
Gwen has noticed her, waving at her from behind the counter. She shoots the woman an uneasy grin, waving back uncertainty back at her.

The two customers leave the shop, and she steps inside at the same time, somewhat awkwardly shuffling over to the counter where Gwen regards her with a cool smile, those piercing blue eyes poking out from within that inky hair an-

_Focus Lilith, please?!_ She screams internally, going pink and causing the shopkeeper to quirk an eyebrow.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken I could’ve sworn we were still up for tomorrow, or did I get something wrong?” She says, and Lilith groans mentally.

_I can’t do it_. 

“I- uh, I was wondering, where do you want to make a reservation?” She says, voice strained with discomfort at the uneasy lie, and she notices how Gwendolyn sees through it instantly. Her ears droop, or well- seem to, they’re all but hidden within the pure black mass of hair.

“That’s… Not the reason why you came here, is it?” She says, and Lilith sighs, looking at the floor.

“No.” She admits

“Do, do you want to call it off?” Gwen asks, shoulders dropping slightly.

“I’m not sure?” Lilith says, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s just… It was a really weird scenario and I’m not sure if you meant it and I just- y’know?”

Gwen nods, before sighing. “Look, last I checked _you_ were the one with a vendetta against your liver between the two of us, I was sober and without a hangover, I really did mean it- that whole “wanna go on a date?” Thing.”  
  
“Oh.” Lilith mutters, not having expected that answer, and before she can stop herself she asks. “Why?”

“Huh?”  
  
“I- I mean, why me? Not to be rude but I wouldn’t give myself _glowing_ reviews, with my current lack of employment… Or housing.”  
  
Gwendolyn surprises her, then. She doesn’t look at her weird, or scoff. She _laughs._

“Oh, oh you thought I was some gold-digger?”  
  
“N-no, no of course not, I never insinuated that-” Lilith stutters over her own words, before Gwen hops over the counter, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m joking.” She says, with a chuckle. “Besides, you really think I need stuff like that? I mean, look at this, I’m set for life.” She makes a grand gesture at the small shop, and Lilith has to concede that point.

“I suppose so, just-” Gwen squeezes her shoulder then, cutting her off.

“Look, I’ll be blunt, because that’s just what I do- you’re cute and I’d like to grab a bite to eat with you, simple as that.”  
  
Lilith goes crimson at that, mouth hanging open, and Gwendolyn gets a twinkle in her eyes.

Her hands shoot up, pinching Lilith’s cheeks.

“Especially when her widdle cheeks get all blushy like this.” She teases, and Lilith about passes out before her conscious mind returns from its impromptu vacation and she bats away the hands half-heartedly, scowling slightly.

“Alright..” She says, as Gwendolyn chuckles again. “See ya tomorrow?”  
  
“At five.” The taller woman confirms with a dashing smirk.

“Alright.” Lilith says, and moves to walk out of the shop, spirits lifted heavily, before Gwendolyn’s voice calls out again.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask.”

Lilith spins on a heel, looking back at Gwendolyn, who’s twirling a lock of her hair around one of her fingers.

“What?”  
  
“What’s up with the hairdo?”  
  
“I beg your pardon?”  
  
“Wellll” She begins. “Edalyn Clawthorne is your sister right? Owl lady, wild witch of bonesborough and all that?”  
  
“Yes?”

“Like… I remember from old wanted posters of hers, that she used to be a redhead, and now she’s got white hair, and you’ve got black hair. What’s with that?”  
  
Lilith pauses for a bit.

_She hadn’t thought of that._

Originally, her hair had been a curly red mess. She’d straightened and dyed it after being in the Emperor’s coven for a while, much easier to strike an imposing figure when it didn’t look as if your hair was trying to turn into a tumbleweed.

“I- I dyed it.”  
  
Gwen snorts again. “Figured.”  
  
“How?”  
  
Gwendolyn merely pulls a small mirror from her back pocket. “Look for yourself.”  
  
Lilith accepts the mirror, looking at her face in it and- she sighs, burying her head in her hands as Gwen once again breaks off into a fit of chuckles. Her roots are showing. She’d totally forgotten to stock up on more dye.

“Thank you for reminding me.” She sighs, pulling out her pouch and looking at the snails within. “I should have enough for some more dye.’  
  
“Ah, shame.”

“Pardon me?” Lilith looks at Gwendolyn, who’s now leaning on the counter.

“I always had a thing for redheads.” She says, before shooting Lilith another wink.

Lilith doesn’t reply, but she does go red- again, causing Gwendolyn to burst out laughing- _again_.

She turns on a heel, storming out of the boutique with a huff. She pauses a bit as her mind comes up with a most devious plan, shooting a small smirk at Gwendolyn from where she’s stood in the door opening.

“See you tomorrow.” She says, before leaving the shop.

She needs to do some shopping.

\--

That night.

“AHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA.”  
  
“Kiki, it’s not funny.”  
  
“I beg your parden my liege bu- hahaha but it really is. HAHAHAHAHA”  
  
“Kikimora please.”  
  
More laughter greets him.

He should have expected this, this is _all_ on him. 

That doesn’t mean he’s not contemplating grounding Luz for the rest of her adult life, right now he doesn’t really care that she would probably not listen to him. It’s the _thought_ that counts.

He’d known something was wrong when Kikimora had barged into his private study, all but vibrating with what sounded like barely contained laughter.

He’d grown worried when she had pulled out a crystal ball, muttering a quiet “you have got to see this.”  
  
His breath hitched in his throat as he saw the face of his daughter appear on the screen, the Blight girl next to her.

And then Luz had started talking.

And he found himself wishing the titan had killed him all those years ago.

He would almost have been impressed with how she had managed to spin such an intricate tale without revealing any of the sensitive information he’d bestowed upon her, if it hadn’t been overshadowed tenfold by her frankly horrid description of him.

“He’s.. Well you know the whole “dark and brooding” thing? That’s what he looks like.”  
  
He already dreads the next ball, heavens know the high class ladies already have it out for his blood.

“He’s like a really awkward puppy, unsure but- I suppose he does want the best.”  
  
That had caused him to smile for a slight bit, happy at the revelation that Luz apparently appreciated the effort, before he realized that she had just described him as a _puppy._

_Welp, there goes my reputation._ Gone with the fucking wind.

Kikimora had broken down into tears and giggles around halfway through the twenty- _Twenty_ minute long interview, and was currently rolling around on the floor of his study, laughing her lungs out as he sat there, frozen in horror.

“D- do you think Perry finally has that career defining story of his?” She wheezed out through the tears and the breathless laughter.

“I suppose… If I don’t have him petrified for this.” Belos growled out through his teeth, clenching his hands tighter around the arms of his chair.

Laughter met him again.

The arms of his chair turned to splinters and kindling.

“I suppose I now know why that old saying exists.” He mutters, taking off his mask and pinching the bridge of his nose.

_Grey hair is hereditary, we get it from our children._

He sighs, and he already dreads looking in the mirror in the next few years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as per usual, please comment/kudo to let me know what you guys thought
> 
> also please tell me your thoughts on how I'm handling alador and lilith


	18. the calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) has, as per usual been an amazing help with editing this chapter
> 
> quick A/N: there is a scene featuring Odalia being well... Odalia, and I will go into greater detail later on, but please rest assured, she is NOT getting a redemption arc

Night had fallen over Blight manor, casting the massive mansion in an eerie gloom as dusk turned to darkness.

There were a few lights on. Their youngest was no doubt busy studying into the early hours. Her twin older siblings, on the other hand, had passed out for the night. But Amity wasn’t the only one awake in Blight manor.

The fireplace crackled and roared, bathing the sitting room in heat and a comforting orange light, illuminating the book laden walls and the leather furniture on which two figures were currently sat.

Odalia Blight, matriarch of the Blight household, was currently sat upon the couch, drinking a cup of tea as she stared into the flames. Her husband was on the chair next to her, feet propped up on the recliner as he flipped through pages on a thick leather bound book.

A comfortable silence stretched between the two. It had been a ritual for as long as they had been married, sometimes small talk would ensue, sometimes it would simply be a place for the two of them to unwind from the day’s stress before bed.

Tonight was rapidly becoming the latter, until with a sigh Alador shut his tome, laying it across his lap as he stared at his wife.

She met his gaze at that, quirking an eyebrow as she took a sip of her tea before setting the cup down on the coffee table.

“What is it dear?”  
  
“How did it go with the Merryweathers?”

Odalia scoffed. “What do you think? They were incensed, threatened this and that, as if they hadn’t told that smarmy little runt of theirs to go after the… heiress.”  
  
Alador would’ve thought she was smelling some rotting carcass as she said the last word, but it was just her being dramatic it seemed, alas. Not something he was gonna touch with a ten foot pole.

“Last I checked, _you_ suggested the Merryweather match, dear.”  
  
The glare she shot him would have killed a lesser man. He, on the other hand, just shot her an unimpressed look, trying to ignore the way the hairs on his neck stood on end as her gaze bored through his soul.

“How did your little “talk” with Amity go, dearest?” She asked, and he was impressed at the vitriol she was talking with when discussing her golden child. But he supposed that had to do with, well, the other thing.

“Amity seems… Happy, for lack of a better word, I think we made the right decision.”

The way she scoffs has him rolling his eyes, but he shoots her a pointed look back.

A beat passes, and then.  
  
“I don’t understand how you are so… so alright with _that_ ?”  
  
He sighs, rubbing his temples before replying. “Why are you not? Neither you or me got a choice in marrying who we wanted, we were matched together to broker a deal. Amity has a genuine chance at having both, and you’re letting ignorance blind you to that.”  
  
“Ignorance?” She scoffs once more, uncrossing her legs and standing up. There’s a massive painting hung above the fireplace, Odalia and her parents. She looks at it for a moment, before looking back at him, pointing her hand at the painting.

“Everything I’ve done these past decades has been to keep the Blight legacy strong, and you just wish to- to besmirch it like this?” She shoots him a glare “I had thought better of you.”

“In any case, this is how it is- and I don’t want to have this discussion again, she has until she graduates Hexside, a compromise I made at your behest, need I remind you?”

“I’m well aware.” She bites back. “Think of how the families will talk of us, the laughingstock of the isles is what this will reduce the Blight family to.”

“Reduce?” He chuckled. “If this goes well, our daughter will _rule_ these lands, that’s more than any Blight could have dreamed about.”  
  
She clenches her teeth, sucking back a response that would no doubt have contained a veritable boatload of profanities, and sighs.  
  
“I suppose you’re right, but does it have to be Amity? Why not Edric, surely that could work instead? We don’t have a match set for him, and it would allow us to both have connection to the throne AND the Merryweathers?”

“Odalia… Please?” He begs, putting his hands on her shoulders, shaking her slightly. “This is for the best, think of Amity?” He just hopes she _understands_ , that she's able to put this childish train of thought to rest for the sake of their youngest child.

He supposes he wished for too much, because she slaps away his hand, taking an offended step backwards.

“Think of Amity?! Where do you get the _gall,_ for fourteen years I have taken care of them, whilst you are always busy! You think _two days_ of training with her is suddenly _enough_ to lecture _me_ on thinking of the children? _How dare you_.”

“ _Children?_ When is the last time you have taken Edric and Emira’s names in your mouth favourably? Amity is the only one you concern yourself with, and that’s just because you see her as your damn golden horse! You dictate her relationships with friends, you make the girl dye her hair so she matches her siblings for titan’s sake, how is that in any ways _caring_?”

“It’s for the good of the family name! Something that _you_ seem to not care about at ALL!” Odalia shouted, moving to push past him, but his hand on her breast stopped her.

“Don’t care?” Alador’s voice came out in a dangerous monotone, one that cut off Odalia’s reply before she could even speak it. He gently pushed her back, and the look in his eyes frightened him.

“I don't care?” He said again, looking almost… Lost, before his eyes found Odalia’s again, and thunder streaked across his irises. His hand grabbed for the collar of his shirt, another for his tie, he ripped it off and cast it into the flames in a singular motion, before exposing his neck to his wife.

“Remember this?” He growled, exposing an ugly red scar that curved down, the full extent wasn’t visible, but it almost reached his navel. “Got this from one of our maids- or well, an assassin posing as a maid, almost cut me in half, because of a bill I proposed at your behest, remember?”  
  
She said, nothing, so he took a step forward, rolling up his sleeve and showing a mauled forearm. “Another assassination attempt, few years ago, remember at the gala?” She swallowed, but managed a shaky nod.

“How about this one? Or this? Or this? Or this, or any of the dozen others, Odalia?” He growled, pointing out spots all across his body. “And that’s just the ones that nearly did me in! Last week, someone blew up a carriage I was supposed to be in. Two months prior to that, I came into my office at the coven and found three _assassins_ in my _office_ , or the year prior to that, when someone stuffed a fleshmelter _pit viper_ into one of AMITY’S _GIFTS_?!” He broke off into a roar, before realizing that he’d pinned his wife up against the wall. She looked… Scared, for lack of a better word.

With the realisation of what he was doing, he quickly backpedalled, before sighing, beginning to redo his clothes as his wife looked at him, horrified. Her eyes caught something at the swell of his hip, and she strode forth, ripping down his pants two inches before pointing at what she saw.

“You didn’t have this before.” She said, and there was concern lacing her eyes. He sighed, looking at the red mark before gently prying her hands off of his pants.

“Three days ago, some bastard in a red cloak tried to threaten me, carried a whip- don’t understand why an assassin would carry a non lethal weapon but whatever, caught me around the hip as I killed him.” He hissed as her fingers brushed against the wound. “It’s the reason I was working from home.” He admitted.

“Alador…” Odalia muttered, grabbing her head in his hands and looking into it with an expression he could place as fearful. For a moment he is reminded of a much younger Odalia, one who had not yet fully slipped into the role of Blight matriarch and had actually on occasion allowed herself to just… Be a person, but as good as it is to see that person again, he can’t bring himself to care right now. 

He stepped out of her grasp, turning to look at the fire.

“I married into this family, so it is my own name as well… I am a Blight, and I have bled for this family, more than my fair share I’d say.” He shot her a look. “So don’t say that I do not care, when I am beginning to realize the error of my ways.’” He shot her a look. “I’ll be in my study, don’t say up for me.” He said, before walking off.

With a sigh, Odalia collapsed back on the couch, burying her head in her hands and letting out a sigh that felt like it took all her youth with it, because when she looked back into the fire- she felt old.

Neither of them had noticed their youngest daughter listening in on them, hidden in a small outcropping behind a statue.

\--

The following afternoon.

“Luz, are you sure this is necessary?”  
  
“Do you want to get held up by Gus’ dad and like, fifty other reporters again?” 

“Well no, but-”  
  
“No buts, we’re doing this.”  
  
Amity sighed, but pulled her own hood over her head. Luz had asked her to meet on the edge of town, and had promptly tossed a cloak at the youngest Blight before donning one of her own. Amity raised an eye at the witches’ wool that Luz was in possession of, but Luz had explained that Eda had made some, followed by an apology for not giving Amity a witch wool cloak of her own.

After another decent eye-rolling session, and some quick banter, Luz had mentioned the reason for the cloaks.

  
She wanted to sneak through the city… the _entire_ city, in order to get to the library.

After a lengthy “discussion” (Amity reckoned she’d make more headway discussing theology with a cobblestone wall.) and about twenty reasons as to why two people in cloaks trying not to be noticed would be pretty damn suspicious, Luz had just brushed her off.

And, as per usual. Amity found herself utterly incapable of saying no to Luz and those puppy dog eyes and those beautiful eye-

Amity’s face began resembling a tomato as she caught onto where exactly her train of thought was taking her.

That aside, it actually seemed to… Work, for some bizarre reason, (titan only _knows_ why) but nobody paid attention to the two of them as they made their way to the library.

Though a few people did raise an eyebrow when Luz began humming some kind of song.

_Eh, who was she to judge- she was the one going along with it._

Compared to the streets, sneaking into the library was a much more difficult task. Since their little “escapades” the night of the wailing star (read: almost dying), the security had been shored up quite a bit, and that one librarian… Gary? yeah- Gary. He still had it out for them. 

Technically, the two of them didn’t _need_ to continue their sneaking once they’d entered the library, but Luz insisted, mentioning that she’d wanted to surprise the kids, and Amity had whole-heartedly agreed.

And so, they’d snuck into Amity’s- now wholly _their_ secret hideout, grabbed the newest Azura book, and snuck their way to the kids’ section.

Luz had bolted into the room with her usual lack of decor, scooping up Braxus and another kid and twirling them around as the room dissolved into giggles and joy. Amity stood in the door opening, looking fondly at the spectacle at hand.

Of course, all good things had to come to an end. Gary strolled into the opening next to her, shooting the Blight a glare which she eagerly returned. He scoffed, but motioned to the commotion in the room.

“What is the meaning of this? This is a _Library_.” He wheezed, voice creaking with barely contained fury, which- considering it was aimed at a bunch of toddlers, was pretty damn sad.

“They’re just messing about, calm down we’ll quiet them within five minutes.” Amity muttered. 

Gary didn’t listen. “I should have her thrown out for disturbing the peace like this, in fact- I think I’m going to do just that-”  
  
Amity’s hand shot out, stopping him from moving into the room. He shot her an offended look, before she rolled her eyes.

“You sure kicking out Belos’ _daughter_ is a good idea?”

Had Ed and Em been here, they would have no doubt poked fun at the speed in which Gary went pale as a sheet. Were it not for the fact she couldn’t see through him, she would have probably mistaken him for a few of Hexside’s resident ghosts.

Amity knew Luz would never use that fact to her advantage… Didn’t mean Amity wouldn’t put it to good use in Luz’ favour though.

“Uh I- I shall overlook this transgression thi- th- this once!” He stormed off after that leaving Amity biting back a laugh and leaving Luz confused. 

“What happened?” Luz asked, looking at the trembling form of Gary as he hid behind his desk.

  
“Nothing.” Amity muttered grabbing the chair she always used during story time and dragging it onto the carpet. Quickly, every kid in the room scrambled to seat themselves in front of the witch as she pulled out the book they would be reading today. Luz came to stand by Amity, a beaming smile on her face as she looked over the kids, all of them eager to get read to by the two girls.

All except one, it seemed. Luz’ grin faltered slightly, and Amity followed her gaze to a small ashen gray girl demon, sitting at the back of the group, who was shooting Luz _quite_ the impressive glare for a five year old.

Amity brushed it off, she recalled Braxus not wanting to talk to her for a _month_ because she’d ruffled his head twice instead of the normal three times once. Children were fickle like that. For all she knew Luz might have accidentally knocked over a block she’d placed on the rug earlier when she’d burst into the room.

Maybe she’d inquire later as to what had happened, right now she had a story to read.

“Guess what everyone.” She said, clasping her hands together, all eyes were upon her in an instant. “Today we’re going to be reading the newest Azura book!” Luz pulled the book from her lap before she was able to lift it up, twirling it around a few times and making a few noises that the kids ate up like candy… Except for that one girl, it seemed.

Luz handed her the book back, shooting her a slight grin before digging through her satchel, pulling out a massive wide brimmed hat, styled in the fashion of the book’s titular character.

“And I, Luzura, shall be helping as your visual aid in this most amazing of journeys.” The sounds of tiny hands clapping together rang out. Amity chuckled, Luz was a natural at this.

She cleared her throat, drawing their attention back to her, before reading the first line.

“The night was cold, fog like a blanket of mystery rolled through the forest of woe, a singular figure-”

\--

“Well. I’d say that was a success.” Luz muttered, looking at the children before the two of them. Amity did not share her enthusiasm.

The children had since a few minutes ago stopped listening to Amity’s story, the reason? Luz. Specifically Luz reaching into her satchel, and grabbing about a dozen small, miniature swords (thank titan they were made of some sort of rubbery substance) and tossing them into the enraptured group of toddlers- as expected, absolute and utter chaos had broken out within moments, with the other girl encouraging every second of it.

“Luz.” Amity said, gesturing to the scene before them. “When I said, provide a visual aid, I didn’t exactly have “have them enact the final battle.” in mind.” She hissed.

Luz shrugged. “I mean, they’re having fun- right?” She gestured to the group of overly excited kids currently batting at each other with tiny replica swords.

“Luckily.” Amity muttered. “Though I think you’re bringing Gary that much closer to a complete mental breakdown. At Luz’ confusion she pointed to the door opening. About ten meters past that point stood Gary, half hidden behind a bookcase, and seemingly shaking with pure fury.

“What’s his deal?” Luz frowned.

“This _is_ a library y’know, silence tends to be part of the package.” Luz scoffed at that, probably about to bite back with an equally snarky reply, before she trailed off, frowning. 

The same girl from earlier was sitting in the corner, hugging her knees and glaring at the floor, Amity took a step forward before Luz grabbed her shoulder, gently steering her in the way of the other children.

“I’ve got this one Amity, you go make sure Braxus doesn’t eat his sword.”

“Are you sure?” the green haired witch didn’t feel fully comfortable with the situation, but seeing Luz’ resolute expression, she sighed.

“Fine, but if you think you can’t handle it, just ask for help- I’m in the same room.”  
  
Luz rolled her eyes at that, an exaggerated “Yes moooom.” Echoed out, and Amity shooed her in the direction of the child at that.

\--

“Go away.”

Wow, this kid was _not_ a fan of her, it seemed. Luz frowned, crossing her arms as she tried to think up a way to approach this.

_Try to make her laugh?_ Probably wouldn’t work since the girl did not seem interested in having _anything_ to do with Luz.

_Bring over a few of the other kids?_ Yeah, no. Luz knew firsthand that children were _vicious_ little bastards, so that was a no-go.

_Ask Amity for help?_ Nope, nu-uh, no way, this was a matter of _pride_ damn it all. Besides… Luz wanted to impress the girl for- totally normal reasons, yeah, totally normal.

Luz was thankful that she was faced away from the witch, because she could feel her cheeks glow red at the thought. With a sigh, she looked to the kid again, before deciding on the only logical option.

_Just go with what you think is best._

So, she slid down next to the girl, pulling her own feet up so she could hug them too, and giving the girl a tiny nudge with her elbow.

“You gonna tell me what’s wrong?”  
  
The girl took offense, it seemed. Two dark purple eyes glared at her from underneath a messy mop of white hair.

“I said, go away.” Man, she didn’t remember kids back home being this well… Terrifying, that glare wouldn’t compare unfavourably to Eda’s.

“I mean, I can go away.” Luz said, causing the girl to perk up slightly. “If you tell me what’s wrong.”  
  
Aaaand the glare was back, but this time the girl’s expression seemed contemplative, alongside the prevalent fury etching across it

Luz guessed the girl needed only a _slight_ bit of harrying before she’d spill, and so she asked again.

“Y’know the offer stands, I’ll leave you alone.”  
  
A beat, then the girl huffed, shooting her another glare.

“You’re not a real princess.”  
  
Luz blinked. “Wait, what?”

“I said, you’re _not_ a real princess.” The girl said again, looking at her as if she was stupid.

“I- uh, yeah I got that, but what? I’m not sure why you’re so mad about that.”  
  
The girl stood up with a start, revealing a tiny tail that swirled angrily behind her, her firsts were clenched at her side and Luz found it _really_ hard to resist the urge to coo at the display of infantile anger.

“Mommy and Daddy said there was a princess, and Braxus said there was going to be a princess here today, but all that’s here is you- and, and you’re not a real princess!!” The girl broke off into a shout, one that apparently- Amity heard, because she turned to the two of them, eyebrows raised.

_Everything alright there?_ Her expression read.

Luz shot her a look back.

_I’m working on it, gimme a minute._

She pushed off the wall slightly, shifting her position so she was sitting on her knees in front of the angry little girl, before asking.

“What exactly makes you think that I’m not a “real” princess?” Luz asked.

The girl shot her a pointed look, before resuming her glaring match with the floor.

“You’re not wearing a dress.”  
  
Luz burst out into laughter at that, and the girl’s expression got even more offended, she held up her hands- trying to placate the fuming toddler, before wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes.

“Okay, okay. Sorry for laughing.” The girl humphed at that. “What do _you_ think makes a princess?”

“A princess is supposed to wear pretty dresses and crowns and gold, and she’s supposed to marry a beautiful prince and ha-”  
  
Luz decided to cut her off before the kid started demanding stuff that would require…. Different types of discussions, before shooting her a quick smile.

“You know, you don’t _have_ to wear a dress to be a princess, right?” 

That just seemed to confuse the girl. “But princesses wear dresses, in all the stories they do.”  
  
“Well.” Luz gestured to herself. “My d- my father, he’s the emperor, so I’m a princess too, and you don’t see me in a dress.”  
  
That made the girl cross her arms. “Well, you should be in a dress, they’re pretty.”  
  
“And uncomfortable.” Luz countered, causing the girl to look at her confusedly. “Hey, I just like being able to run, it’s why I wear pants.” She pointed to her shorts, causing a tiny. “Oh.” 

“What about a crown, or a tiara?” She countered, and Luz shrugged. “Belos doesn’t wear a crown, so why should I-”  
  
“Because you’re a princess?” 

“I might not have a crown, but I do have… THIS” She said, flipping her hoodie up over her head, cat ears and all. The girl’s expression shifted into one of unadulterated awe.

“Kitty.” She muttered, making grabby hands at the hoodie as she walked forward, Luz chuckled, allowing the enamoured girl to play with the ears on her hoodie for a bit, she spotted Amity looking at the two of them from the corner of her eye, and her cheeks darkened slightly. She was thankful that the hoodie was obscuring them, or Amity might have started to ask questions.

Suddenly, the playing began to transition into slightly more forceful tugging, and Luz gently had to pry away the girl’s hands from her hoodie, lest she accidentally pull one of the ears off.

“It’s not a tiara, but it’s pretty cool, right?” 

The girl didn’t look at her, still staring at those ears, but she managed a shaky nod.

“So, do you think I’m a princess yet?”

The girl’s arms crossed again, looking away. “Princesses wear dresses.” Luz was about to interject, when the girl shot her a tiny smile. “And cat ears.”  
  
Luz laughed, rising to her feet and ruffling the girl’s hair. She shrieked and tried to bat away Luz’ hands, but she just scooped the tiny demoness up.

“By the way, I didn’t catch your name.” 

The little demoness became very shy at that, looking at the ground as her cheeks turned red.

Luz shook her slightly, giving the girl a beaming smile. “C’mon, I’d like to know who I just had a lovely conversation with.”  
  
The girl let out a tiny “eep” before looking Luz in the eyes, she relaxed somewhat, before giving her answer. 

“Ellis.”  
  
Luz beamed at the tiny demoness, setting her on the ground and dropping to her haunches to look the girl in the eyes. “Well Ellis, how would you like to have a hoodie, just like mine?”  
  
The girl looked like Luz had just given her the stars, pointing a tiny finger at herself.

“Make me a princess too?”  
  
Luz chuckled, but nodded. “Sure.”  
  
The newly dubbed Ellis latched herself onto Luz’ leg with a shriek of pure joy. Luz made a mental note to ask Eda if she knew any tailors, couldn’t afford to let her newest- and smallest- friend down, now could she?

Suddenly a loud whine began to sound throughout the library, followed by Gary’s voice, coming over the speaker system.

“Dear patrons of Bonesborough Library, the library is closing slightly earlier today. You have five minutes till closing time- please remove yourself from the premises within the allotted time. People still inside the library after closing time will be hunted for sport, thank you all!”

Luz shared a concerned look with Amity, who mouthed back “he’s just crazy.”  
  
Nevertheless, both of ushered the kids outside.

As the kids rushed off towards their parents who had come to collect them, Ellis in particular practically skipping to her own parents in joy, Amity turned to Luz.

“Good job with that kid, you seem to have made a new fan.”

“Pfft, I did basically nothing.” Luz shrugged, pulling out her phone. She frowned at the time. It was considerably earlier than she’d expected- four PM, they were supposed to be able to use the library till eight PM. She shot a look at the library, before pocketing her phone with a sigh.

“Jerk.” She muttered, turning to Amity.

“Wanna head to the clearing for a bit, we’ve got like- an hour to kill.”

Amity frowned. “Without Gwendolyn?” 

Luz shrugged. “She’s got a date in like, an hour- besides, it’ll only be for a short bit, couldn’t hurt all that much, right?”

Amity sighed. “I don’t know Luz.”  
  
“Besides, you could show me those new abomination skills of yours.” At the accompanying eyebrow wiggle, Amity conceded.

“Fine, let’s go.

\--

An hour later.

“I swear she better appreciate what I’m doing for her.” Gwendolyn muttered, slamming the door to her shop closed with a huff, before locking it.

Not a lot of people knew about Gwendolyn’s tendencies, well- not a lot of people _knew_ Gwendolyn in general, she was rather secretive by nature, that and the fact she was Belos’ personal assassin and information broker.

Those that knew her, however- knew one thing- to Gwen, the only good clothing was comfortable and/or functional clothing. Dresses were a _no_ and the concept of earrings or high heels was abhorrent to her.

It might really speak to how much she wants this to work out, that she’s made not one- but _two_ exceptions to her normal wardrobe no-no’s.

A pair of black boots with four inch heels was still the furthest she wanted to go, and she still wasn’t sure about the things. She just hoped she didn’t break her ankle. A pair of dark black leggings and the leather skirt were a bit more welcome, though out of her comfort zone. At least it wasn’t a dress- she supposed, She was _definitely_ keeping the light blue blouse, though. She liked that one a _lot._

Gwendolyn was so caught up in her musing that she almost didn’t notice a figure coming to stand in front of her.

_Almost._

_God damn this girl loo-_

“Hey, Gwendolyn.” 

Gwendolyn felt her pulse quicken as she realized just _who_ was standing in front of her.

“...Lilith?” She said, feeling her cheeks heating up.

“Yup. Seems like we’ve switched styles, haven’t we?”

And _damn_ if that was the half of it, but Gwendolyn _definitely_ wasn’t complaining. She’d thought Lilith looked good before, but _now_ ?  
  
Brown boots, high heeled like her own, accenting legs clad in tight leather jeans- and Gwen thought it a bloody crime she’d hidden those behind a dress _before-_ a deep burgundy blouse not unlike Gwendolyn’s own one, the first two buttons undone so the gem on her chest peaked out, and a black leather jacket overtop it. And that _somehow_ wasn’t the best part, no that came when she looked above the neck.

A set of elegant, round-rimmed glasses were perched upon her nose, shimmering gold, minimal makeup, besides the black lipstick that was just- wow, and the thick winged eyeliner that had been expertly applied, and her _hair?!_

Red, fiery red, shorter- curly, and kept in a ponytail and just- holy shit.

“-wendolyn, Gwendolyn?” Lilith’s voice called out, and it was at that point Gwendolyn realized she’d been staring. She felt her cheeks heat up as she took a step backwards.

“You- you look amazing.” Gwendolyn muttered, voice breathless, and Lilith’s cheeks turned pink as well, mirroring her own.

“Y- you too.” 

Gwendolyn burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all, two grown-ass women blushing like teens in the middle of the street, in broad daylight. 

“Well, shall we get going?” She said, holding out her arm for Lilith, with a chuckle Lilith accepted, hooking their arms together.

“Let’s go.”

\--

The place Gwendolyn had led them to was a quiet little hole in the wall. Not many people knew about it, but the food here was absolutely glorious, the staff were nice and there was always a seat open. They were quickly shown a table towards the back of the restaurant, Gwendolyn collapsed in a chair with a sigh.

“I fucking hate heels.” She groaned, massaging her heels through her shoes as Lilith slid into the seat opposite of her.

“Why did you wear them then?” Lilith asked, and Gwen found herself entranced for a moment by her hair before answering.

“Same reason why you’re not wearing that dress of yours, wanted to make myself look nice.” She batted her eyebrows at Lilith, who blushed slightly.

“Yeah, me too- you look nice, really nice by the way.”

“Oh you definitely do, what’s with the hair? I mean, it looks _good_ , but a little soon for it to have grown out, isn’t it?”  
  
“Oh, this?” Lilith said, twirling a lock around her finger. “There’s a few spells to remove dye from hair, the curls are natural- by the way.”

“Nice.” Gwen said, before hissing as she put some pressure on her foot again.

“I am _never_ wearing these again.” Lilith frowned. 

“Would be a real shame to just throw them out after wearing them one time though.”  
  
“Well, earlier you said we’d switched styles, wanna trade? I’ll even let you keep the other boots if you get me those pants, I’d kill to be in pants right now.”  
  
Lilith gave her a look that set something in her chest on fire. “My my, first date and you’re already talking about taking off my pants, are we?”  
  
“So what if I am?” She shot back, and Lilith’s composure broke, going crimson as she spluttered for a reply, Gwendolyn broke off into hysterics, followed soon thereafter by Lilith.

“On a slightly more serious note.” The ex-coven leader said. “I’m not the biggest fan of these pants, too tight for me.” 

“Opposite on my end. I feel like I’m a gust of wind away from a fine for public indecency.” They broke off into another round of chuckles at that, and when the waiter asked, Gwendolyn, to Lilith’s surprise, ordered water.

Once the waiter left, Gwen noticed Lilith giving her a strange look.

“What?”  
  
“Nothing. It’s just- I expected you to order apple blood, y'know with you selling it and all that.”  
  
“Yeah, about that.” She muttered. “I supply the stuff to this place, and quite frankly- I taste test batches almost weekly so, I’d rather not drink it when I’m going out too.”

Yeah, that sounded reasonable enough.

“How did your sister, Edalyn- right? Take the news of our little escapade?”  
  
Lilith groaned, burying her head in her hands as Gwendolyn burst out into another fit of laughter.

“Please don’t remind me of that, I implore you.” 

“Alright alright, I won’t. Still one hell of a night, you’ll at least agree on that, right?”

“I suppose you’re right on that.”

Both of them talked about twenty different subjects between the waiter returning to ask what they wanted to eat, and their dinner arriving, from Lilith’s experiences in the Emperor’s Coven (Gwendolyn was _definitely_ blackmailing Kikimora with a few of those stories.) To Gwendolyn’s worst customers, to life at the Owl House and the juiciest gossip regarding a few of the richer families in the Isles.

When their food arrived, they both dug in. Gwendolyn had ordered a burger and some slither-fries, and Lilith had ordered a razor-boar stew with some souldough bread.

“Oh god, this is divine.” Lilith moaned as she took her first bite, Gwen snorted through a mouth full of burger at the blissful expression on Lilith’s face.

“Told you so.”  
  
“Indeed you did.” Lilith replied, before devouring her meal with newfound vigour.

It took five minutes for the two of them to finish their meals, and the next half hour was spent just chatting among the two of them, until something happened, a thing that neither of them had prepared for.

The bill was delivered to their table.

“I’ll get it.” They both said at the same time, opening their purses. The waiter took a step back as the two of them shot a pointed look across the table at each other.

“I’ll get it, you picked out the restaurant, after all. “ Lilith said through gritted teeth.

“None of that, I invited you, didn’t I?” Gwendolyn shot back, saccharine in tone with a fake smile plastered on her face.

After a few minutes of bickering, both reached an impasse as the waiter cleared his throat.

“Coin toss?” Gwendolyn suggested, taking out a single snail.

“Coin toss.” Lilith conceded.

“Heads, I pay. Tails, you pay.” Lilith nodded once more in agreement, and Gwendolyn placed the snail atop her thumb.

She flicked it into the air, and the two of them watched it twirl high into the air for a bit.

Gwendolyn held her hand out to catch the coin, when her shadow clone- the one that had been following Luz for weeks now, showed her what it was looking at.

She _froze._

The coin clattered to the floor, Lilith looked over the edge of the table, before cheering. 

“I win, I wi-” She trailed off, looking at Gwendolyn’s horrified expression.

“Gwendolyn, what’s the matter?”  
  
Gwen looked at her then, haunted.

“The kids, they’re in danger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom chapter done, a cliffhanger that will probably have you all hate me for a good long while, and one of my favourite chapters to come.
> 
> A/N: This is continued from earlier, but please dont worry, I am not giving Odalia a redemption arc, people can be shitty human beings and still genuinely care for others, Odalia might think of her children as little more than tools to perpetrate the Blight legacy, but Alador is someone who she's likely spent a few decades of her life married to, some care is to be exhibited, and I thought it would elevate her slightly beyond just pure "hate sink" and into "shitty person" territory.
> 
> On another note, man this chapter had so many scenes I would have adored drawing pieces of art for, alas for my decency at writing I am horrid at drawing, so F.
> 
> As per usual, please leave your thoughts in the comments below, I love reading them!


	19. The storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was a doozy, as per usual StormySkiesAhead came in clutch with the awesome editing, please forgive my not embedding the link, it's 3 AM as I'm posting this

This was getting harder and harder, Amity thought, gritting her teeth in exertion as she fought against the sweat threatening to break out on her brow.

Just… a little, more and- there!

“Woohoo! You did it!” 

_Worth it._ Amity thought, looking into the beaming smile of one Luz Noceda, perched upon a rock. For the past fifteen minutes, Amity had been showing the girl some of the tricks her father and her had been working on these past few days. Amity’s increased abomination summon size had impressed the human to a ludicrous amount. The smaller summons had confounded the girl, until Amity had explained them being made from a different material which was much more difficult to work with.

After that explanation, cheers had resumed in full force. Amity did have to admit, if Luz had been cheering her on back when she was still captain of the Banshees, she would have never quit.

She was currently busy with something she’d only managed to do once prior, but damn it she had a girl to imp- Her cheeks reddened as she shut down that train of thought.

_She had a friend she wanted to show something to. Yes, that was it._

She might have her father’s blessing, and her mother’s… somewhat disgusted tolerance to the agreement, but the thought of actually trying to make a move… What if she didn’t feel the same? Luz had said she was interested in boys and girls, but that didn’t just magically give Amity a chance, for all she knew Luz already had someone in mind, maybe Willow- or Skara or Bo-.

She shook her head then. Probably a safe bet to at least scrap _her_ from the list, but she still couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she was getting her hopes up. She didn’t want to hype herself up only to be disappointed in the end.

Eventually, after what felt like eternity, she managed to do it, creating a tiny abomination that reached her knees, made out of the thick almost black goop that was notoriously hard to control. Even now, her tongue was sticking slightly out of the side of her mouth, eyebrows screwed up in concentration as she made it take a few unsteady steps.

Luz seemed to be unable to contain her excitement, hopping off the rock and rushing towards the witch, a bound in her step.

“Oh that’s just so _cute_ Amity.” The human cooed, sinking down onto her haunches and looking at the tiny abomination as it stumbled towards her. 

“G-glad you like it.” Amity muttered through gritted teeth. After a few beats, she let her control go, watching the small construct shift back into much, before disappearing entirely. She wiped some sweat from her brow as she stood back on shaky feet. _That was hard._

Suddenly, there was a juice box right in front of her eyes. She shot a questioning look sideways, finding Luz sipping on her own one, her other hand offering Amity the juice box.

“Here, you seem a little tuckered out.” Amity shot her a grateful look, accepting the beverage with a quiet “thanks.” 

“By the way, how’s the glyph situation going?”

Luz sighed, plopping down to sit in the dirt as she dug through her bag. Amity joined her after a bit, sipping on her juice as Luz pulled forth a few pieces of paper.

“I’ve got a few theories but I can’t test them without, y’know, Belos?” She grumbled, and Amity’s curiosity got the better of her then.

“Why don’t you just call him your father?”  
  
Luz sat up straight at that, looking startled before frowning again, pulling up her knees and latching her arms around them. Amity cursed herself for overstepping mentally, of course she wouldn’t be ready to talk about something like that. She’s probably just make the girl unwilling to talk about anything regarding her father in the future.

Or so she thought.

Because Luz _answered_. There was a sigh that sounded like it took something out of her, and then Luz met Amity’s gaze.

“I- I don’t know.”

Amity nodded. Probably not the best time to start asking questions, not when it looked like Luz was wracking her brain to try and find the best way of wording her thoughts.

“It’s just, I guess it’s easier like that? Keeps some semblance of deniability between me and him, even though- even though I _know_ that he’s my father- it just doesn’t feel like I feel like he is, you know what I’m saying?”  
  
Amity flinced. Luz had unwittingly his closer to home that she had intended, but the witch did nod, opting not to voice her opinion. Luz took it as a sign to continue.

“When I grew up, I- I got bullied, a _lot_. For loads of different things, my interests, my clothes, my skin colour, my name- “Luz-er” was quite the hit, my grades, and well… Not having a dad was part of that.”

“And just, it hurt, sure. But mom always had an answer “you’ll find people that share your interests” and “you wear the clothes you _want_ to wear.” “Don’t listen to them _mija,_ a hateful heart does not deserve a response.” My grades, though…” Luz broke off then, rubbing the back of her neck, and Amity laughed, relieved for some levity amongst the dark things being said.

Luz’ gaze dropped to the floor, then. “When it came to my father though, mom didn’t have an answer. She’d just.. Fall silent.”

Amity scooted closer then, wrapping an arm around the human’s shoulder. Any other time she would have probably combusted there on the spot at the grateful look Luz shot her, but right now, she needed a _friend_ , and Amity knew Luz would have done the same for her.

“She never really talked much about him I mean- most she said was that he’d just, packed up and left one night. That he’d been charming and kind and had mom wrapped around his finger, and he just... bailed. Sometimes, I wondered if _I_ was the reason.” Luz said, and it seemed like she was fighting back tears.

“I hated him for that, still do- I suppose. Even though I know it wasn’t his fault, he lost his memories and didn't even mean to stay away...” She chuckled sadly, remembering her promise not to tell Amity about what Belos had divulged to her. 

“When I found out Belos was my father- I expected Eda to kick me out, all the tales she told about him did _not_ paint him in a good light… Nor did him essentially blackmailing me into living in the castle. But, it wasn’t all bad- sure he was aloof, and kinda creepy? But not that bad.”

She took a deep breath, before continuing.

“That changed the night I escaped.” Luz said. “He just, changed- just like the flick of a button, that uncaring person was gone and there was, well I suppose a dad? I don’t know, I probably sound ridiculous-” Luz trailed off, and Amity gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Luz looked at the girl, who shot her a reassuring smile.

“I understand, Luz.” Amity said, and really, that seemed to do the trick.

“I went to the castle again- alone and, he told me about how they first met, and he just- he didn’t seem to be able to stop himself from _gushing_ about mom, about all the silly things they’d gotten up to, and how absolutely smitten he was with her.” Luz swallowed.

“That’s probably my main reason right now, why I don’t refer to him as “dad” at least, I think so, anyways?”  
  
“Did something he say disturb you or anything?” Amity asked, and Luz paused momentarily at that.

“I- I suppose in a way? It just made it clear to me, that this man, this person I’d been hating for all my life, for abandoning me- abandoning my mom. That person never existed, and there’s just this- I don’t know what to do with these feelings? Do I just shift them onto him? Do I just pretend like they never existed, like every barb and insult I’ve wanted to sling at him never crossed my mind, or do I just- feel guilty, because as much as I never got to have a dad, he never got to have a daughter?” Luz broke off into a sniffle at that.

“I just- I don’t know what to _do_.”

Truth be told, Amity didn’t either. There was really no easy answer to the question Luz was asking herself. She was about to tell the human just so, when her ears twitched, a rustling in the forest.

She looked into the forest, and her pulse raced.

Figures were extracting themselves from between the trees, at least two dozen of them. She jumped to her feet, dragging Luz upright with her. The girl went still as she caught sight of the figures slowly approaching them.

“Do you know these people?” She hissed at the human, who shook her head in reply. Amity took a quick glance behind them, cursing mentally as she saw more figures step out of the woods. They were completely surrounded.

“Please tell me you brought some of your glyphs.” Amity whispered, she was a bit fatigued from earlier, and she had a _bad_ feeling about all this.

“I did. I have a few dozen in my satchel.” Luz replied, shifting the bag to her front and sliding her hand inside.

“Well, that’s good.” Amity muttered, as the strange figures moved ever closer, the circle was closing in, a mere thirty yards separating them from the closest figure. Suddenly, as one, they all stopped. Amity shifted Luz behind her. It probably wouldn’t help much, but it gave her some peace of mind.

From the circle around them, a single figure stepped forth, moving a further ten yards towards them before stopping himself. He pulled off his hood, and both girls resisted the urge to lose their lunch as they looked upon what greeted them.

An old man, bald and- half faced. Four massive claw marks started above where his right eye would have been, an empty hole stared at them. The man’s nose was gone, as was most of his left cheek, a ruin of scar tissue and flesh. As if something had taken his face off with a single swipe.

A single pale eye regarded them with what Amity recognised as barely veiled disgust, before the mangled remains of his mouth opened, and a raspy voice rang out throughout the clearing.

“Greetings, my name is Horace, and I come- with an offer.” His gaze focussed on her, and the hairs on her neck stood on end. “You must be the youngest daughter of the Blight family, yes?”  
  
Luz took a step forward, away from Amity and spoke back.

“Can we hel-” The man’s gaze turned to Luz and instantly lost the thin veneer of politeness it had taken on when looking at Amity, replaced by fury and utter revulsion.

“SILENCE, CREATURE!” He roared, and Luz shrunk in on herself. He looked disgustingly pleased at that result.

“Hey, don’t you _dare_ talk to Luz that way.” Amity growled out, and he turned to her, that same disgusting expression of false kindness on his face.

“As I said before, I have come to make an offer, to _you_. Amity Blight.” He took a step forward, but halted as Amity’s expression darkened.

“Very well, I’ll leave you in suspense no longer. I am shocked at how far the Blight family has fallen.” Amity looked back at him, confused. He gestured to Luz. “To associate with the usurper’s spawn, to make a mockery of everything your family has stood for. But I _do_ realize that you are young, and that such a folly is not unforgivable- yet, provided you are educated otherwise. Here is my offer- step aside. Let us deal with that… _creature_ . And we shall make sure your family will want for nothing, forevermore.”  
  
Luz stuffened, Amity shot her a- what she hoped to be a reassuring look, before taking a step forward to meet the man.

“And what if I refuse?”

“Then you will die here, your family estate will be burned, your parents and siblings executed, and your family’s name will be shunned for eternity.” He said, so matter-of-factly that it might as well be talking about the weather.

She looked at Luz, and to her horror, found the girl looking despondently at the “messenger”. Amity clasped a hand on Luz’ shoulder, anchoring the girl in place. She knew that look. Luz was about to go and be a self-sacrificing idiot, again.

“Don’t you dare.” Amity hissed.

“Amity, there’s forty of them, we can’t beat them. This way at least you survive.”

Luz made to move past, but Amity shoved her back. Before turning to the scar-faced man again.

“Here is what I say to your “offer”.” Amity growled, spitting on the ground. “Your threats mean nothing. Your name is dirt. Your words are dust, and you will die unmourned. The only time people shall think of your existence again is when they need to empty their bowels, so promises I, Amity of house Blight.” The witch’s voice took on a thunderous echo as the words flowed from her mouth.

Luz pulled her around, wide-eyed. “What did you just do.”

“An oath of banishment.” Amity replied after a beat. “It’s old magic, nearly extinct, it labels him as exiled and outlaw, to be an enemy forevermore.”  
  
“So, I assume this is it?” Luz sighed, grabbing a few glyphs from her satchel. “One last dance?”

Amity laughed whole-heartedly. “Oh I _am_ getting another dance, Noceda.” There was a slight flushing to Luz’ cheeks then, but Amity didn’t care right now. They were looking death in the face. Best to face it with a smile.

Horace looked… disappointed. With a sigh, he shook his head.

“Let it never be said, that I did not offer mercy.” He muttered, pulling his hood up over his head.

Then, after a beat.

“Kill them.”

\--

_We’re gonna die._

That sentence was the only thing that echoed through Luz’ head, as the assassins rushed them as one.

_We’re going to die, and it’s my fault._ She thought, as she slammed down a few ice glyphs, erecting a massive wall of ice as Amity summoned her largest abomination.

The wall provided to be nothing more than a hindrance. They leapt overtop it, but Amity’s abomination intercepted them as they leaped down at them, blades at the ready. The gooey limb battered them aside, though she could already see them getting back up.

Her momentary lapse in concentration nearly cost her an arm. She was barely able to twist out of the way of a throwing dagger, sending a fireball back at the assassin that they swiftly dodged.

“We need to get out of here.” Amity shouted, forcing her abomination into a quadrupedal configuration as she threw a few fireballs at some assassins that came too close.

Luz saw what the Blight was planning, and slapped another Ice glyph on the ground, before throwing a few activated plant glyphs into the mass of assassins, entangling a few of them along with a pair of abominations in thick, thorn-laden bramble.

The ice glyph formed a small plateau, one that launched both of them onto the mud-like exterior of the abomination. As soon as they were perched, Amity shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Abomination, CHARGE!” It bucked as a horse would, before leaping clean overtop the lines of the assassins, carrying them through the clearing at a swift pace with long bounding leaps.

Unfortunately, the cloaked figures were able to keep up. Two of them pulled up alongside the girls, flying atop plain staffs. In unison, they pulled bows from their cloaks, stringing a pair of arrows. Luz’ blood ran cold as they realized just where they were aiming.

“Amity!” She cried, leaping at the Blight as the arrows were loosed. Thankfully, they missed, but Amity lost her concentration, sending them both spiralling to the ground. 

They barely had enough time to scramble to their feet before the horde was upon them again. Thankfully they at least had their backs to a massive redwood right now, though it was but the barest of assurances, as spells were being blasted at them now. Luz was quickly running out of ice glyphs, using them to block bolts of lightning and fire, and Amity’s abomination wasn’t able to get any hits in, the witch manipulating it into different shapes to catch daggers, spears and arrows thrown at them.

Even just defending, they were losing ground, a few arrows had made it past the Blight girl’s defence, one of them grazing her calf before burying itself in the dirt.

Amity merely let out a hiss of pain. Luz looked at her worried for a moment, before another barrage forced her attention elsewhere.

Too late. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, and she knew she wasn’t going to be able to help in time. Two assassins had bolted around the side of Amity’s abomination, and she wasn’t even aware of their presence.

Luz coincidentally wasn’t aware of the assassin that was currently bearing down on her, having leapt over one of the ice walls.

Or, at least, she wasn’t, Until a massive black cat slammed into the assassin, plowing him through the ice wall and sinking its teeth into the demon’s neck, not even giving her would-be killer enough time to scream.

At the _exact_ same time a figure, seemingly melting out of the shadows, plunged two blades into the necks of the assassins going after Amity. 

At once, the assault stopped, the new arrivals spooking the group into a momentary retreat. They- save the three of their number that had perished just now -formed back into a semi-circle.

Luz and Amity looked to the new arrivals. The massive cat- Luz recognised it somewhat: a jaguar, but larger than any jaguar she’d seen before. The other figure she recognised, one of Bel- her father’s most trusted soldiers, if she wasn’t mistaken.

“Thank you.” She said, breathless with relief at the save.

“You’re welcome, kid.” The figure said, and they froze at the voice.

The figure reached back, pulling off their- her, hood, before grabbing the front of her mask, looking back at the two shocked teenagers with a slight smile.

“Gwendolyn!?” both exclaimed in shock.

“Surprise.” She responded dryly, sending them both a wink before turning back to the assassins.

“Well then… You? Apologies for my crass behaviour, I just don’t know how to address you all.” She turned to the two girls again. “Would you say this is a gaggle, a flock- or a herd of assholes?”

“Well well well, if it isn’t the little wildcat of house Haggard.” One of them called out, stepping forth again. Gwen went rigid as the massive cat began prowling behind her.

As the man- Horace, pulled his cloak away. The jaguar let out a growl that shook Amity and Luz’ bones.

“Never thought I’d see you again, thought it’s fitting I suppose- still lapdogs to that false emperor, even after he abandoned you all to die?” Horace mocked.

“You’re supposed to be dead.” The raven haired woman choked out, sounding stupefied. 

The man barked out an ugly laugh. “No, not quite.” He gestured to his face. “Though that little _pet_ of yours gave it a damn good go.. I’ll make a fine cloak from its hide.” 

Gwen chuckled, giving the giant feline a rub on its neck as it came to stand beside her. “You hear that, Shadow? Seems he didn’t get enough last time.” She took a step forwards, then, twirling the wicked dual blades in her hands lazily. 

“Now then, are you going to try to bore me to death, or are we going to get back to fighting?”

With a scowl, Horace retreated back into the mass, pulling his hood back up over his head.

“Kids, we just have to hold out for a little bit, reinforcements are coming. Eda and Lilith are on their way. Can you do that?” Luz and Amity nodded.

She gave them a quick smile. “Good to hear. Shadow. Protect them.” WIth that she pulled her hood back up over her head, before charging the mass of armed men.

\--

The next few minutes were a blur, a frenzy of spells and blades. Luz and Amity were still pushed back against the tree, but with the added help of Gwen and the massive cat, they were able to do some damage back. Shadow had sunk her teeth into one more assassin, and Gwen seemed to have taken out four on her own. That meant eight dead, thirty-two remaining.

Luz was worried- worried for Gwen, who was a whirlwind of shadowy magic and blades, barely visible within the horde of assassins, worried for Shadow, who had a few arrows buried in her sides (though thankfully they didn’t seem deep), and worried for Amity- the girl was panting, hard. Her knees were shaking and Luz thought she looked like she was going to pass out any second.

_Eda, Lilith- please hurry._

\--

_Dodge, block, evade, cast, strike._

Over thirty assailants still alive, four down, and she’s beginning to tire.

_Death whirl?_ No, too dangerous, the kids would never survive.

She backflips over a mace aiming to crush her spine, planting her heel in the man’s face in the same motion. She’s infinitely grateful that when she switches position with her clone, she gets the clone’s clothes. Fighting like this in _heels?_ _Fuck_ that.

_Shadow puppetry?_ Also not an option. In this melee, doing something that mentally taxing is just gonna get her killed.

Two bolts of arcing lightning streak towards her. Her daggers come up, magically imbued steel deflecting the bolts into one unfortunate bastard. He drops like a sack of spidercow shit, writhing on the ground in pure agony. Though, even with him completely at her mercy, she’s barely able to plunge her knife into his throat before she’s forced to swat an arrow from the sky.

_Alright, that’s five down._

Best course of option right now seems to be to just stab the lot of them. She glances over at the two teens and her familiar fighting. She sees how Amity is standing on shaky feet and how Luz ever more frantically digs through her satchel. 

“Yeah, I need a new plan.” She mutters, dancing between an axe blow and a spear jab as she kicks another one of them between the legs- unfortunately for her, it’s a woman.

“Of all the bloody times.” She groans, falling into a split as throwing knives and- was that a fucking boomerang? Pass over where her head just was. One of her knives lashes out to where the woman she’d just tried to emasculate was charging at her. The blade hits its mark, and she rolls aside as the woman stumbles forward, clutching her leg.

_Yup, Femoral artery, that’s six._

“I don’t remember you being this feisty last time we met.” Calls out a _very_ familiar voice from within the crowd.

“Oh, you scared because I’m not a five year old girl anymore?”

“Hah, doesn’t make a difference, you’re gonna die, just like mommy and daddy did.”

  
She doesn’t know why, she’s over it- should be over it, but that sentence sets alight a flame in her heart.

“You fucking- AH!” She drops to a knee, clutching the rapier where it has poked a neat little hole in her leg. It’s just hit meat, she knows what arterial bleeding feels like, but it still hurts like a bitch.

Looking up, she sees Horace’s smug face, and she’s about to just run up the blade to strangle him when he twists it. She falls back down, trying not to give the fucker the satisfaction of heearing her scream.

“I told you, that you’d die just like mommy and daddy, by. My. Hand.”

_Well. Guess this is it._

There’s few things in life Gwen regrets, not being able to save her parents, never forcing Kikimora into that onesie, always being too scared to reach out to people… Never finishing that date. Just a few hours ago, she’d had a real shot at a life. The last thought she’s prepared to think is that she hopes Lilith won’t hate her for this lie, when suddenly a blue bubble envelops her. Horace jumps back, dropping his rapier.

For a moment, she wonders just what exactly had done this, before she spots two figures floating above the clearing.

And then?

The world _burns_.

Cerulean flames of such force she can feel the heat even within the bubble utterly _bathe_ the clearing in hellfire. Bolts of orange and yellow lightning carve out gulleys in the forest floor as they chase after scrambling assassins. The last time she’s seen such raw power was- well, from the Emperor himself, but as the torrent of magical death subsides, two figures, not one descend.

The moment the two of them touch down, they bolt, Eda makes a beeline straight for Amity and Luz, scooping the two of them up in a hug.

Lilith walks towards her, apprehensive, and Gwendolyn thinks about launching herself into those arms before she shifts slightly and remembers that there is a _fucking sword_ stuck in her leg.

The redheaded witch comes to a stop a few feet from her, looking at her downed form with a mix of emotions roiling behind her eyes that has Gwendolyn feeling sick. 

“So, you’re Belos’ right hand man- er, woman?” She looks at Lilith, at the make-up and the fiery red ponytail, and she sighs. She can’t do this. She can’t look Lilith in the eyes.

“Yeah.”  
  
“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Probably not.”

“Was any of it real?”  
  
Gwen’s eyes meet Lilith’s then.

“All of it was.”

Lilith crouches down at her side then, pulling Gwendolyn’s arm over her shoulder. Slowly, she rises up, eyeing the assassins on the other side of the clearing wearily. They seem spooked, but that might change in an instant.  
  


“We’re talking about this.”

Gwendolyn chuckles, hobbling along with a pained hiss. “Fair enough.”

“Seems like a good subject for a second date, don’t you think?”

Gwendolyn stumbles at that, looking at Lilith like she’s just gone insane.

“What?!”

“I had fun, prior to all this- I’d like to do it again, if that’s alright with you.”

Quite fucking frankly, had there not been minors- or assassins- or Lilith’s sister present, she would have jumped the redhead’s bones right here in the dirt.

_And the sword in my leg_. She mentally adds, after she stumbles once more, jostling the blade that seems to be doing its level best to shift in such a way that delivers the maximum amount of pain with every step.

_Speaking of which._

She stops, before grabbing the sword by the hilt, an inch above where it’s poking out from the meat of her thigh.

“Wait wha-” Lilith says, before Gwendolyn’s roar of pain as she yanks the blade from her leg drowns out her question, she drops to the floor, yanking the Clawthorne sister down with her.

“What were you _thinking!?_ You should know you’re not supposed to pull out something like that, what if you nicked an artery?”

“Trust me, I know what that feels like- I didn’t nick anything. Doesn’t mean I can just let this bleed, gonna have to cauterize it.”  
  
“Right now?” Lilith hisses. “You won’t be able to fight after something like that.

“I was out of the fight the moment I got stabbed, this way I don’t bleed to death here in this shitty forest.” Gwen snipes back

“Well, should I do it?” Lilith offers.

“Nah, I got this.”

“... If you’re sure.”

“Yeah, yeah” Gwendolyn weakly waves her off, before drawing two small spell circles on the palms of her hands. She presses both of them to either side of her wound, before looking at Lilith again.

“Hey, if we survive this, I’d like to go on that date with you.”

She activates the circles, and the howl that echoes forth from her lips is bone-chilling, her whole body feels like it is being dipped in acid as flames lick at the inside of her leg, cauterizing the wound. Flashes of white dance before her eyes, and then her vision begins to blacken. With a final yelp, she deactivates the magic, falling forwards. Thankfully, Lilith catches her. She comes to rest in the crook of the redhead’s neck, panting and blinking incessantly to drive the tears from her eyes.

“Look at you, one date and you’re already a panting mess clinging against me. What would people say?” Lilith says, voice all too smug.

“Marry me…”

“One. Gross, Two. dibs on maid of honour- or best man, I don’t care. Three. Can we please focus on those damned red-cloaked freaks?!” Eda’s voice calls out, and they are suddenly aware of the situation they’re in right now.

“Yeah, fair enough.” Gwendolyn says, pulling herself up on Lilith’s shoulder, before looking back. The assassins had regrouped somewhat, though that barrage of the two sisters doesn’t seem to have killed any of them.

“Look, I’m useless here. Let me take the kids out of here. Can the two of you hold em off?”

“Sure, but how are you gonna get to town? They’re in between us and Bonesborough.”

Gwendolyn chuckles. “Right now? Going into town would just give them hostages, which- knowing this gremlin over here-” She mocks, ruffling Luz’ hair. “- would be a guaranteed way to get her caught. I’m talking about heading into the woods. Get distance between us and here.”

“Why? Right now we’re the best way to keep you all safe.”

The look Gwendolyn gave the Clawthorne sisters has a wave of unease settling over the group.

“Kids.” Gwendolyn said. “I told you guys help was coming, right?”

“Yeah.” Luz and Amity agreed.

“Well, they’re not the only ones.” Gwen muttered, nodding to the Clawthorne sisters.

“What do you mean?” Amity asked.

“I sent Lilith to the Owl House.” She fixes the Clawthorne sisters with a stare. “I sent my shadow to the castle.”

It feels as if the temperature in the clearing drops to arctic temperatures at that.

“What do you mean by that?” Luz asks.

“She means this crater-uh, clearing is gonna become ground zero when that shadow reaches your dad.” Eda mutters. She shares a look with Lilith before both of them nod.  
  
“Go, get them out of here.” 

Gwendolyn nods, telling the kids to follow her as she hobbles into the forest, leaning on the massive cat for support.

“I like her, Lily.” Eda mutters.

“I do too, now- Heads up!” The two raise their staffs, seems like their quarry getting away has knocked the shock out of them, they begin rushing the two Clawthorne sisters.

“God, this reminds me of school, remember fourth grade- the food fight?”  
  
“You mean the one _you_ started?” 

Eda laughs, spinning Owlbert in a circle in front of her. “Yup, us against the entire school- as I seem to recall.”

“Oh yeah, didn’t help them much.” Lilith chuckles back, readying her own staff, the white raven’s eyes lighting up with blue fire.

“Let’s show these bastards what happens when you mess with our kids.”

\--

  
  


They’re not moving as quickly as Gwendolyn would like. In the five minutes since they’ve left the clearing, they’ve barely made it three-quarters of a mile. It’s mostly her fault. Her leg is _killing_ her. Every step is agony, but she can’t afford to complain, she needs to push on. Her shade is almost at the castle.

She takes a glance backwards, frowning at what she sees. Luz is holding up pretty well. The girl is shaking like a reed, but given the circumstances, it would have been weirder if she hadn’t been at least somewhat scared.

No- what worries her is Amity. The girl looks pale- well she’s always pale- but right now she looks like a ghost. Her feet are dragging behind her and there’s a distinct stiffness to her limbs that she recognises instantly.

  
Magic fatigue. She faintly recalls the green haired witch spending those few hours when Gwendolyn had been on her date showing off to Luz. Combining that with fighting for her life these past few minutes…

She comes to an abrupt stop. Shadow looks at her questioningly, with a small hiss she turns around, looking at the two girls.

“Amity, c’mere.” She motions towards the Blight, who all but jumps at the mention of her name.

“What?” She says in a small voice. Gwen sighs. “Come. Here.”  
  
Amity pauses for a bit, before taking a few steps forward. Gwen presses two fingers to Amity’s neck, before tilting her face up to look into her eyes.

_Increased heartbeat, Dilated pupils, the girl is running on adrenaline and spite. And by the way her feet are dragging, it’s about to wear off._

She grabs the Blight under her arms, heaving the girl up onto Shadow’s back. The massive cat shifts uncomfortably, as the young witch looks at her owlishly.

“What are you doing?” Amity asks, speech slurred slightly.

“Don’t try to act tough Amity, you’ve been running on fumes for a while now. Just rest a bit.” 

Amity looks ready to protest, but Luz’ hand coming up to her shoulder stops her. The two share a quick look, before Amity nods. 

Gwen makes a mental note to tease the two of them about it later. They’re so cute together it’s almost sickening.

“Well then, let’s get going.” She mutters, leaning into Shadow’s side again. They’re a bit slower now, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about one of the girls fainting on her.

\--

“Damn, these bastards really don’t want to stay down.” Eda pants, brandishing her staff like a club.

“I do have to say, it’s more difficult than I would have imagined.” Lilith agrees. 

_There’s something wrong._ Both sisters think at the same time. By the time they had arrived, ten of the assassins had already been dealt with. They’d thought this was going to be easy.

The fact that they’d dropped no bodies as of yet, proved otherwise.

It was- downright strange. Especially since one of the dead bastards had electrical burns on the parts of skin that were exposed, and last Eda had checked, there hadn’t been a storm lately.

Besides that, the magic she and Lilith had thrown at the bunch of bastards, had seemed to just- not work. Sure, blasts of fire and torrents of water knocked them around a bit, but they should have been dead, the amount of magic poured into those spells was enough to have them level buildings.

And yet, they stood back up, as if nothing had happened.

There was something wrong here. She jumps away from a knife thrown at her before she spots something.

Five of the assassins were making a break for it, trying to rush past her and Lilith.

“Oh no you don’t.” Eda takes to the sky and aims her staff at one of the towering redwoods, sending forth a blast of magic that rips out haf the tree’s trunk, with a heaving groan- the massive tree begins to topple.

Three of the assassins make it past, the other two- not so lucky. But, just before the thousand-tonne tree flattens them into paste, Eda notices something- the slightest flicker of red, just before it hits the ground with a massive thud.

_Magical shielding._

“LILITH!” She roars to her sister, who is currently using her staff as a flamethrower. “THEY HAVE MAGIC SHIELDS, SAVE YOUR BILE!”

Lilith nods, joining her sister in the air.

“Three of them made it past.” Eda growls. “The other two are currently under that tree, I spotted something- a red flicker, a barrier trying to stop that redwood.”

“That makes it much more difficult.” Lilith can’t help but mutter in agreement, before her eyes traill off to the edge of the clearing.

“I think I might have an idea.”  
  
With that, she bolts to where one of the creeps in red lays dead on the ground. She kicks him over, and soon enough spots what she’s looking for.

A magical necklace. One that she recognises.

She rips it off of his neck, before bolting back to Eda, who has stopped throwing magic at them, instead opting to rip boulders and trees out of the ground and launching them at the assassins at breakneck speeds.

“Edalyn, look.” Lilith calls out, tossing the amulet to her sister. She catches it with one hand. 

“Well, that explains a lot.” She mutters. “A red tear. I thought these were forbidden?” She says, holding out the crimson gem.

“They _are._ All blood magic is, you know this.”

Red tears were used prominently in the savage ages, tear-shaped hollow crystals. One poured blood into them, and they bound themselves to that person, shielding them from any and all magical attacks, the catch being that they drain your bile to produce the shield. 

Eda has a sneaking suspicion that this tear, along with the ones no doubt worn by every other bastard currently trying to kill her kids, is filled with all of their blood. 

Makes sense- allows people with bigger bile sacs to pick up the slack for others, and allows them to not accidentally have their spells blocked by a comrade’s shield, as the tear would allow you to shoot through your own barrier without trouble.

“So that’s why they haven’t been chucking that many spells back at us.” Eda mutters. “They can’t.”

“Well, at least we know how to beat them, right? We just have to keep hitting them until they run out, if one shield breaks, they all do.”  
  
“But what if _we_ run out of bile first? We’ll be defenseless.” Eda mutters. This is bad. She doesn’t have much more magic left in her, and if _she’s_ running low, Lilith must seriously be pushing her limits right now.

The winds _shift_ then, carrying with it the telltale tang of magic. It takes her but a moment to figure out what is happening, and she allows herself to deflate in relief.

Even still, the hairs on the back of her neck raise up.

“Astute observation, Edalyn. I might be of assistance there.” A voice thunders out through the clearing. All eyes are instantly drawn to the new arrival. 

Standing in the middle of the clearing, facing against the twenty-five remaining assassins, is none other than Belos himself. Eda and Lilith float down besides him, the two sisters eyeing the emperor warily.

“So, these are the worms that tried to kill my _daughter_?” He asks them. There’s an edge of barely restrained fury to his voice, one that makes it abundantly clear what exactly is going to happen to the assassins opposite of him.

“Yes, they are.” Lilith says. “Three of them made it past us, but we have to deal with them first.” She says, pointing to the group standing at the other edge of the clearing.

“Well then, that settles it.” He says, his staff emerges from his cloak, unfolding itself with a mechanical clanking. The orb atop it begins to crackle and glow a malignant red, a massive axe head emerging from it after a few moments, made of what Eda can only assume is hard light.

“The sentence is **death.** ”

\--

“Gwen, are you sure I can't help you, like- you can lean on my shoulder too?” Luz asks, for what Gwendolyn has counted is the thirteenth time in five minutes.

“Kid, for the last time, drop it.” She ruffles Luz' hair again. “Besides I’m like… Twice your size. I’d squish you, no offense.”

“But you’re hurt, so is Shadow, and Amity…. Because of me” The last part was barely above a whisper, clearly not meant for any ears besides Luz’ own ones, but Gwendolyn heard.

“Listen, Luz. This is not your fau-”

**BOOM.**

An explosion in the distance shakes them, nearly throwing Gwendolyn off of her feet. Looking back, she can see a cloud of dust and debris forming. If she were a betting woman, she’d bet all her savings on the outcome that included that clearing being turned into a lake next time it rains.

“Well, kid. Your dad heard the news.” She says, turning back to Luz. The girl doesn’t respond immediately, looking at the ashen cloud rising into the sky.

“He did that?” Amity mutters, sounding horrified.

“Yeah, seems he’s trying to keep himself in check.” Gwen mutters, she lets out a quick chuckle at the horrified looks both girls give her.

_Well, I suppose things are about to wrap up_. She thinks, looking at her familiar with sad eyes. There’s a few broken shafts sticking out of her flanks, something she’s gonna have to deal with as soon as she can- lest they get infected.

She lets out a breath she didn't even realize she’d been holding, when the snapping of a twig has her hackles raised.

She whirls around, eyes racing back and forth, looking for the source of the sound. When she spots it, her shoulders slump.

“Fuck.” She mutters, then- a slight bit louder. “Guys, looks like we’re not out of the woods yet. Three of them, in the trees- closing in fast.”

“I thought Eda and Lilith were keeping them back?”Amity asks.  
  
“Seems like they missed a spot.” Gwen shoots back, drawing her blades. “Get ready to fight.”

“What!?” Luz hisses. “Bu- but you’re all injured!”  
  
“And you’re their target, now are you gonna grab a glyph and help us or are you going to stand there and feel sorry for yourself!” Gwendolyn snaps, Luz flinches back.

She’ll apologize later, right now she needs the kid focussed on the here and now, instead of beating herself up mentally.

“I’m out of glyphs.” Luz says, showing her empty bag. 

“Well, that’s not good.” Gwen mutters, before reaching into a pouch at her waist, pulling out a pair of knives. She shoves one into each of the girls’ hands..

“Here kid, if it comes down to it, don’t hesitate- and stick ‘em between the ribs, alright?”

“A- alright.” 

Gwendolyn sees the exact moment they spot them. They become more erratic, mixing up the timings of their jumps to throw off magical blasts. 

“Come down here you bastards!” Gwendolyn roars up at them. “We can see you, you fucking cowards!”  
  
“Is it really a good idea to piss them off?!” Amity hisses, and Gwendolyn rolls her eyes.

“Trust me, anger is nothing but a detriment in a fight.” She pats her own leg absentmindedly at that. The barb just as much aimed at her as it was simply a statement of fact.

She’d almost cost those two girls their lives because she’d lost herself in her anger momentarily.

The three assassins drop down in front of their rag-tag group, weapons raised.

“Last chance, hand the creature over to us.”  
  
She’s not sure if it’s Amity or Shadow that growls in response to that, but the Blight’s hands light up with flames. 

“What, scared you can’t take me, a housecat, and two kids in a fair fight?” She jests, laughing slightly at the way their posture tenses. She twirls her blades for a bit, before somewhat painfully dropping down into a ready stance of her own.

  
“Come on then.”

\--

It had taken mere moments.

Twenty-five assassins, reduced to twenty-something corpses littered around what was left of the clearing. Redwoods were carved in twain, slowly dribbling streams of magma pooled down into the newly formed crater, the rock having been melted so thoroughly that the parts not still liquid had been turned to glass. In that hellscape, stood a singular figure, currently holding the last of the assassins up single-handedly, forcing the man to look him in the eyes as his lifeblood pooled at the emperor’s feet.

Above the site of carnage and ruin, Eda and Lilith were floating on their staves, looking at the scene before them in barely disguised horror.

“I knew he was powerful, but _this?”_ Lilith muttered in shock, Edalyn couldn’t help but agree.

“Yeah, tell me about it. Hard to believe he’s related to Luz, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

A sickening crack was heard, and the last corpse dropped to the ground. The emperor floated up towards their level, looking at them both with a critical eye. Those twin blue rings had a feeling bubble up in Eda’s gut, one that she was trying hard to convince herself wasn’t abject fear.

After a moment, he spoke.

“Thank you both, for protecting her.”

Eda shot him a surprised look,before it morphed into a smug grin. “Anytime.”

He nodded quickly, before moving past the Clawthorne sisters at speed,“She might still be in danger, we have delayed enough. Let us go.”

\--

If- no, _when_ she next saw Luz, she was going to _strangle_ the girl, that- Gwendolyn swore on the dead bones of her parents. 

“Stupid, self-sacrificing fucking idiot.” She growled, forcing herself to hobble forward despite the pain.

It had all gone well. The assassins were pushovers, even for their standards, Gwendolyn had the first one down within moments, nearly decapitating the bastard. Shadow had ripped the second one apart after Amity had used the last of her magic to knock him over, which had resulted in the Blight fainting.

And Luz? Luz had _ran._ Screaming at the last assassin to “come get her” if he wanted her so badly. Gwen had left Shadow watching over the Blight girl, in case any more surprises came their way- she somewhat doubted it, giving Belos himself had appeared, but she wasn’t gonna bet the girl’s life on her own feelings.

Which left her hobbling after where Luz had taken off, and vowing something to herself.

If she found the girl hurt, or… worse, she was going to bring her back to life, no matter how much money- or magic it took, just so she could put the girl back in the ground for worrying her this much.

“Gwendolyn, are you alright?” She heard Belos’ voice behind her then, and she groaned, leaning against the nearest tree she could find as she looked at the emperor.

“I’m alright, probably gonna get another scar but it’s not fatal.” She muttered, pointing to her blood-soaked pants. “It’s your kid I’m worried about.”  
  
“Edalyn and Lilith are with the Blight girl, she’s suffering from magic fatigue but is otherwise alright. Where is Luz?” There was a hint of panic in his voice.

“She’s up ahead, I think. Kid ran off when those last three assassins arrived, was feeling all kinds of guilty about us being hurt- probably thought she could lead them all away. One of them chased after her.”  
  


“Thank you, for protecting her.” He said, sounding mighty unsure of himself, before taking off in the direction Gwen had pointed out Luz had ran to.

“You can thank me by giving me a vacation.” She muttered, sliding down the tree.

\--

_Faster, faster!_ He pushed himself, blasting through the forest as he looked for his daughter. A million different outcomes racing through his mind, each and every single one of them filling him with horror and determination.

Emotions only equalled by his _fury._

He _knew_ who was behind this, and if he was going to make them suffer before this, _now_ he was going to make their every waking moment _agony_. The moment he got his hands on them he-

His train of thought derailed as he spotted something, hanging between the branches of a bush. Something that made his blood run cold.

_Her satchel._ he blurred towards it, grabbing the bag in his hands. The strap was broken in half, cut by some sort of blade, it seemed. A few feet beyond that, he saw a dagger buried in the dirt.

As he picked it up, his breath caught in his throat.

There was blood on the dagger.

He took off again, this time with renewed vigour.

He sped up, nought but a blur now, bashing aside trees and branches if they got in his way, desperately trying to make sure Luz was alright. The thought of harm befalling was sickening, enough to make him want to throw up. But he couldn’t. That would take time, time she might need.

_Please, don’t let me be too late- please don't let me fail her again._ Was the sole thought passing through his mind as he followed the trail his daughter had made, a few footprints there, a skidmark in the mud there- yet no signs of the assailant.  
  
_Had she lost him?_

A small part of him latched onto that thought, hoping- begging whatever god listened to make sure she was alright.

As he came into a clearing however, his heart _stopped._ He saw a red cloak crouched against a tree, a sight that might as well have been a red flag to a bull. Right then, he landed, stalking towards the soon-to-be-corpse with determination, when he saw something that made his worst fear a reality.

A white shoe, poking out from underneath the cloak, along with blood- _so much blood_.

“No.” He muttered in horror, picking up speed. “no no no no no.” He broke off into a full on run, crossing the twenty yards between the cloaked figure and him within seconds.

Once he closed down to a few yards, he froze, as he got a full picture of the scene before him.

His daughter was on her back, one arm pinned to the ground by the brute’s paw. The other hand held out in front of her, no doubt trying to block whatever blow the assassin had been about to strike.

And from that outstretched palm, a massive spike of ice jutted forth, going clean through the assassin’s chest, propping him up even as his blood poured out of the gaping hole in his chest like a crimson waterfall.

_She activated her magic._ Was the first thought that had passed through his mind, but had it been enough to save her?  
  
Suddenly, something shifted, and he found himself staring at two brown eyes looking at him from beneath the corpse. He rushed forth, ripping the cloaked figure off of her, tossing him across the clearing as he looked at his daughter’s state.

Her knees were scraped, there was a cut on one of her cheeks, and a bruise on the other, but otherwise she seemed… Fine.

“Luz?” He asked.

The glassy look in her eyes disappeared instantly, as if a spell had been broken, and she looked at him then.

“Dad?”  
  
“Y-yeah, it’s me, it’s me little light, you’re safe.” He said, trying to reassure himself of that fact.

  
Something happened then, her breathing became… Laboured, shoulders heaving as she began shaking.

“He- he was going to kill me…. and I _killed him.”_

“You did nothing wrong.” He said gently, hoping to calm her nerves.

“I- I killed somebody, he was going to kill me.” She didn’t listen, her breathing becoming more and more erratic.

“Little light, please. Calm down, please.”  
  
“I killed someone.” She repeated again, tears beginning to pour down her cheeks. At that moment his composure broke. He took off his mask, tossing it carelessly aside before scooping his daughter up in an embrace, uncaring of the blood they were both sitting in.

“You protected yourself, you have done _nothing_ wrong, understood?”

“He- he was gonna _kill me_.” her voice broke something in him, tears welling up in his own eyes as he slowly rocked back and forth.

“You’re safe, you’re alright, you’re safe.” he muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She latched on, burying her head in the crook of his neck and weeping openly.

“I’ve got you, you’re safe.” He chants, like a mantra.

_I almost lost her, I failed her again._ He thought to himself, as he wrapped his arms tighter around the small- so very small girl.

“I’ve got you.”  
  


He didn’t know how long they were sitting there, but the sobs slowly but surely lessened, before they simply stopped, replaced by a faint breathing. When he looked at her again, she was sleeping.

_She must be exhausted._

He carefully brushed a lock of hair out of her face, before rising up, shifting her so she was laid in one of his arms.

“I’ve got you.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and boom, it's done- the second longest chapter of this fic to date, only beaten out by chapter 10  
> definitely a fun chapter to write, even if there are some things that I wish I had the ability to write better
> 
> As per usual, if you enjoyed the fic I'll ask you to please leave a comment and/or kudos, I love reading comments, especially theories or thoughts on a specific part of the chapter. 
> 
> See you guys next time!


	20. The aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, shoutout to the awesome [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) for editing this chapter.
> 
> This picks up a few hours after chapter 19, things are tense but the worst seems to be behind our cast for now.

She _ran._

The moment those assassins leapt into action, she took off, ignoring the alarmed cry of “Luz!” and the angry shout of “Get back here.”  
  
There’s no clarity if it’s the shouts, or simply her running off, but one of the cloaked figures breaks off from his two companions wordlessly, giving chase.

She ran hard and fast, clutching the knife Gwendolyn had given her in shaking hands, as the shadow grew ever larger and larger. Careful not to run in a straight line, she put as many brambles, trees and shrubbery between her and the assassin as she possibly could, to decent avail- a few knives meant for her back harmlessly thudded into the wooden bark of colossal redwoods.

She seemed to actually be gaining ground, leaving the figure behind, when disaster struck. Her foot caught on a root, sending her stumbling forth, straight into a rain-slicked puddle of mud, still not dried from the rains a few days ago.  
  
She fell, skidding forth a few feet due to her momentum. A painful hiss left her lips, no doubt due to the acid still left within the mud.

As she scrambles to her feet, either by some sort of divine providence or sheer dumb luck, a knife whizzes by her- carving through the loop of her satchel but missing the flesh of her trapezoid by what looks like microns.

It begins to slip off of her shoulder, but she catches it one-handedly as she breaks off back into a run, the figure hot on her heels.

She doesn’t cry, doesn’t beg the person to leave her be or offer any sort of prize in return for her life- maybe because she knows it’s useless, probably because she’s too scared to force words past her lips. Either way she runs and runs.

A laugh rings out through the forest, reverberating into a haunting sound that might as well be some infernal hound chasing her to drag her down into hell.  
  
Her clothes snag on thorns. She missteps, causing her ankle to double over, but she doesn’t slow down, merely hissing in pain and running harder.

Her breaths become hacking, heaving inhales as she forces herself to push and push and push even harder. Her legs must have gone numb, the buildup of lactic acids inciting painful twinges every time her feet make contact with the ground, but still she doesn’t stop.

Untill, she does.

She _dives_ into a thick row of bushes, falling to the ground with a soft thud, and clasps both of her hands in front of her mouth as her shoulders fall up and down in a frantic pace as she tries to catch her breath.

Tense silence reigns for a few moments as footsteps draw ever closer, before fading back into the forest.

For just a moment her shoulders sag, and it looks as though she’s in the clear.

Then, a shadow drops down behind her.  
  
She turns around, lashing out with the blade in her hand. It hits flesh, carving a trail in the man’s tunic- and his stomach it seems. With a shout of rage, he backhands her into the dirt, sending her bag and the knife flying off in opposing directions.

“You’re going to pay for that ten fold.” He hisses, pressing a hand to his stomach, his glare deepening when red stains the palm of his hand.

Luz doesn’t respond, merely turning back around, breaking off into another run.

This time, however, she’s slower, and the assassin seems to have had enough of the games. There’s no doubt the steadily trickling wound across his belly has taken away most of his humorous mood. He takes to the trees, hopping from massive trunk to trunk and _gaining_ ground.   
  
There’s more mud, and Luz almost loses her footing again, but stays upright this time.

That is, until she gets to a clearing, and she is battered to the ground by that very same figure.

She stumbles for a few steps, and then falls- tumbling head-over-heels until she finally lands on her back.

The figure stands before her, and she scrambles backwards as he takes a step towards her. Her back hits a tree, she’s trembling like a leaf as he draws ever closer.

The figure stops before her, bending down, and Luz simply _stops_ , breath catching in her throat as he flashes her a grin that promises nought but death and agony.

“No more running.” 

Luz doesn’t respond… Verbally.

She balls up her fist, and punches the guy, straight in the nose. He stumbles back, more shocked than hurt, before growling at her.

“Alright, if that’s what you want to do.”   
  
He rushes forth again, pinning her against the ground. Her hand comes up to try and push him off but he simply grabs it, pinning it to the ground.   
  
His other fist rears up, and the smirk he gives her bone-chilling.

“Wonder what daddy’s gonna say when he finds you here with your skull caved in.” 

Luz’ eyes glass over at that, breathing picking up more and more as she brings up her other hand, pushing at his chest in an attempt to dislodge him.

“No… Please.” Her voice comes out, tiny, and frail.

He simply laughs. “Too bad.”  
  
“No.” She repeats again, and his fist comes down.   
  
He doesn’t notice the puff of frosty puffs of condensation in her panicked exhales.

His fist is mere inches from her face. 

And then she shouts.

“NO!”  
  
There’s a brilliant white flash, followed by the sound of a ribcage being mulched and flesh being torn.   
  
When the flash subsides, there’s a colossal spike of ice, emanating from her palm, impaling her would-be killer.

“Wha-” Is all he manages to say, before the light leaves his eyes.

And then Luz _screams._

\--

He doesn’t know if it’s just him, or if the tower suddenly started shaking, but he falls back into his chair, his legs simply giving out under him.

He’s shaking, he finds- when he brings up a hand into his field of vision, it’s trembling like a leaf.

He looks to the figure, sleeping in his own bed, and he buries his head in his hands, trying to calm himself down somewhat should she stir.

He feels a wetness in his palms as he takes a shaky breath. He’d been crying. Not surprising, he thinks- as he recalls just what he’s seen.

Digging through another’s memories without consent- it’s frowned upon, heavily so, to the point of being a felony, but he just had to know- he _needed_ to know just what had happened.

He finds himself regretting that decision heavily.

That scream…. He has no doubt in his mind it will haunt him till the day he lies rotting in the ground.   
  


Though, he supposes it’s only fair- she’ll be carrying the weight of her act of self-defence for a _long_ time. It seems only fair he carries this with him too, a reminder of yet another time he’s failed her.

He wonders if he will ever manage to do anything else. A dark portion of his mind simply laughs at the notion of him being better- he finds himself agreeing there.

Then, she moves. His head snaps up as he watches her eyebrows scrunch up, her head moving jerkily from side to side. He recognises the signs.

A nightmare.

WIth a sigh, he places a hand over her forehead, mumbling a quick incantation, it takes effect within moments, as she falls back into the peaceful sleep of earlier.   
  
He sighs, before getting up. She won’t be waking for a while, the spell he’s cast having the side-effect of extending sleep by six hours, if not more.

At least they will be dreamless hours.

He grabs his cloak and mask again, showing on his gauntlets and dressing himself back in his full regalia, before leaving her to sleep.

The moment he steps outside of the room, he makes sure every single incantation is in order, casting a few more of his own atop the myriad of spells and curses that prevent entry to his own bed chambers, before making the long descent down the spiralling staircase.

Again, teleportation or simply shadow walking was an option, but he didn’t care much for either option right now. The ten or so minutes it would take him to make his way to where the Blight girl and the others were would give him some time to think.

More specifically, to think about what his next move should be. His foremost assassin had been watching over her, and yet it wasn’t enough. The only reason she was currently laying in his bed in a magically induced slumber and not on some… Cold sla-

He can’t even finish the thought.

_What options does he have?_

Foremost among them would be to simply grab the portal key and shove her back into the human realm. It would guarantee her safety and probably be best for her. But that quickly falls apart.

Never mind the fact he can’t bring himself to do it, to willingly throw away what is very likely the last chance to be in her life he is ever going to get- it would also mean having to confront Camila again. And he doesn’t know if he’s strong enough for that.

Besides that, there’s also the fact that, right now, a portal is being built around it, one that won’t be activated until the day of unity, which is still over a month away.

So, that is not an option. Any… Other options might be best discussed with the one his daughter seems to have latched onto with vigour.

Edalyn… Clawthorne…  
  
Well… For all her many, _many,_ **_many_ ** faults, he does have to begrudgingly admit that the woman definitely cares for Luz. _That_ is always something he will be grateful for.

By all the stars in the sky, however, it does not mean he is going to ever do anything besides tolerate her existence, but thankfully gratitude and approval are not mutually exclusive.

As he rounds the corner to the castle’s infirmary wing however, he’s reminded of one thing that has slipped his mind previously.

There is more than one Clawthorne. Lilith, the _ex-_ leader of his coven. She looks different. Her hair is a fiery red, and her eyes are shrouded by a pair of circular glasses. She looks different than he can recall her, less poised, unrefined. Cut free in a sense. She is standing in the middle of the hallway, hands on her hips and a frown on her face, she is talking- scolding someone, he gathers from her tone, he looks slightly to the left, his eyes falling on the figure that Lilith Clawthorne is talking to, and-

Gwendolyn… Who is leaning against the wall, standing on a singular leg with her other half aloft slightly, and has a look in her eyes that he’s never seen before.

He’s known her since she was little, since the… Incident that led to her becoming a part of his coven, and she- along with Kikimora- is one of the few people in the isles he genuinely cares for. Even with that, he knows she’s not one to lay her cards out in the open, hiding behind the facade of a joker and an unflappable way of speaking to hide what he had always thought were chasmous mental scars.

He has _never_ seen an expression like that make its way onto her face, not even when in the throes of puberty when she had driven half the staff certifiably insane.

It’s pure, undiluted, adoration. She’s looking at Lilith as if she’s hung the stars, even as the redhead lays into her with words of worry and anger.

“Are you kidding me? You were _stabbed_ not a few hours ago, and you’re already trying to get out of the castle!?” Lilith say, in what Belos identifies as indignant worry

“Look, the healers assured me it’ll be good as new within the week-” Gwendolyn tries, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. Lilith- it seems, is having none of it.

“-Provided you _rest_ for that week. I was _there_ when they told you this, half an hour ago- in fact.”   
  


He stands there for a bit, dumbstruck at the sight before him, they seem to either not care- or simply not notice his massive visage from down the hall, until Gwendolyn pushes off the wall, revealing a crutch she’d had behind her back. She hobbles down the hallway towards him at speed, Lilith walking behind her, both still unaware of his presence.  
  


“So, I’ve got work to do, specifically making sure Belos killed _all_ of those bastards.”   
  
“I was there when he arrived, nothing could have survived that blast.” Lilith argues, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Even _he_ knows that’s a mistake, and it slightly amazes him that, when Gwendolyn whirls around with a furious expression, she doesn’t draw a knife on the Clawthorne.

“I thought that before, but that _bastard_ survived, he’s like a fucking cockroach, I need to be sure of this, Lilith- please.”

He decides it’s about time to announce his own presence.

“Who exactly are you referring to?”  
  
Both women freeze, Lilith’s expression resembling that of a startled deer as her eyes meet his mask. When Gwendolyn looks up, however, all he sees is hurt and anguish.

“The guy who murdered my parents.”  
  
A pin could have dropped and it would have sounded deafening compared to the silence that stretches out in the hallway.

“I thought your familiar killed him.” Belos says, after a beat.  
  
“So did I.” She shoots back, tears welling up in her eyes. “Did you kill him?” Her tone is desperate- almost pleading.

He thinks back to when he had unleashed that blast upon the scum in the clearing, how a few had turned tail and ran whilst others had embraced their impending death with the smidge of honour left in their miserable hearts. 

He wants to lie, say they all burned and be done with it, but he cannot afford to possibly lose her trust right now, not for the sake of making her feel better momentarily.

“A few ran.” He says. “The blast obscured my vision, I do not know- most perished, at least twenty. As for those few others, either they simply vaporized, or-”  
  
“They got away.” Gwendolyn finishes for him, he inclines his head in agreement. A bitter chuckle passes from her lips.

“So, he’s still out there.” She growls, and takes a step forward, he blocks her path.

“What are you doing.” She says.

“Gwendolyn, you are one of two people in my coven that I know I can trust and rely upon, and right now I need you sound, of mind _and_ of body.”   
  
“How can you expect me to just sit still- whilst that bastard prances around freely.” She counters.

“Simple. By ordering you.” He says, causing her to go rigid. “I am Emperor at the end of the day, and you are sworn to me.”  
  


She doesn’t respond, so he continues.

“You are to take that week off, refrain from any duties with regards to the coven, and take it easy. Tearing yourself apart for revenge is not going to help you, trust me on this.”

She meets his gaze, glaring defiantly up at him for a few moments, before her resolve crumbles, and she sighs.

“Fair, enough, but _a week._ Not a day more.”   
  
“Or less.” He adds, and she grumbles, but doesn’t respond there.

With that sorted, he looks to the other woman in the hallway, his former coven leader, who is glaring at him with quite the intensity.

“Lilith, I see you are well.” He says, taking a step past Gwenolyn.

“I’m doing fine, no thanks to you.” She growls.

“Ah, yes. About that.” He says. “We did not part on the best of terms- last time we spoke.”  
  
“You mean when you revealed to me every promise you made me was a lie? That you were going to execute my sister? When you _threw me out_?” She snaps back.

He inclines his head. “Indeed. I make no apologies for that- but yet, despite all that happened, you still went out of your way to make sure Luz was alright, and I wish to thank you for that. Name your price.”

That seems to stump the Clawthorne for a bit, her mouth falling open slightly.

“What?”

“You, along with your sister, Gwendolyn and the Blight girl are likely the reasons my daughter still draws breath, whatever history there might be between the two of us, it pales in comparison to that act. You will all be rewarded, so as I said before, name your price- anything within reason, and it shall be yours.”  
  
“Hey, why didn’t you ask me first?” Gwendolyn calls out, hobbling to his side.

“Because it’s either going to be vacation days, which you will not use, or money, which you will not spend. I had already been preparing a sizable sum to be transferred to your account, unless you wish for something else?”

“Actually, I do.” Gwendolyn says.

“Well, as I said before, name it.”  
  
“When all this is done, when everything is behind us, I wish to be able to call in all those vacation days at once.”   
  
Doing some quick math in his head, that means he’ll be without her for a few years at best, but when all is said and done, it’s not unreasonable.   
  
“Deal.” He says, before turning back to Lilith.

“Do you wish to think about your choice for a while longer, or do you already have something in mind?” Based on her expression, he guesses it’s the latter of the two choices.

Lilith nods, “I have something in mind, yes.”  
  
“Very well, what is it?”   
  
“The Clawthorne estate.”

He chuckles. “I thought that was signed over to me, as a gift presented to the Emperor by the leader of his coven.”  
  
“I’m not the leader of your coven anymore, am I?” She counters, the venom is still in her voice, but a hint of hopefulness has joined it.   
  
“As I said, anything you wish for. Within the day the estate will be signed back over to you. Though, if I might be so rude, what do you wish to do with such a large property?”   
  
Lilith pauses for a bit, before rubbing her arm gently. “I- I wanted to get away from that house before, from a life filled with all my mistakes and their consequences. But running away from them is not going to solve any of that. I was thinking of maybe renovating one of the wings, maybe opening up a shop there- or a small school for those that wish to delve into advanced magicks at a younger age.”   
  
He doesn’t miss the way she looks at Gwendolyn when the word “shop” leaves her mouth, but he cannot help but agree with her ambitions. He makes a mental note that- should Lilith go with the school instead of the shop- he leaves a few anonymous recommendations to said place.

Let it never be said that Emperor Belos does not reward those that look after his blood.

“Well, until that is sorted out, shall we head back to the infirmary?” He says. “There are two others whose offers I am going to need to hear before the day is done, and I’d rather get the Blight girl’s wish out of the way prior to her parents joining us here.  
  
“Her parents are coming?” Gwendolyn groaned.   
  
“I informed them as soon as I could.” He responds.

“You do know Edalyn’s gonna put one _hell_ of a hole in the royal treasury, right?” Lilith says, and he sighs.

“I have made my piece with that fact.” He says, and it only comes off as slightly regretful. Kikimora is going to have his head for this “reckless spending”. He can already feel the lecture coming.

“Also, about Amity.” Lilith says, and both of them look at the red-headed witch. “There’s something off about her.”  
  
“What do you mean?” 

“There’s- magic is swirling around her, _old_ magic, _powerful_ magic. The likes of which I’ve seldom felt before, I have a feeling it’s what caused her to faint in the first place.”

“Is she conscious?” He asks.

“Probably wishing she wasn’t, I bet.” Gwendolyn lets out a bark of laughter. “Poor kid’s gonna be having one hell of a migraine. Add to that the fact she’s in there with Edalyn, who has been all sorts of worried since you whisked the kid away. How is she, by the way?”  
  
“Physically? Nothing but a few bruises and scrapes. Mentally? I put her under a dreamless incantation, she’ll be asleep for quite some time still, but once she wakes up- I fear as to what the lasting consequences might be.”

“She… Killed someone, right? That last assassin that went after her.” Lilith asks.

“I peered into her mind, I saw what happened- her magic activated at the last moment. Had it not, she would have died.” 

“But still….” Lilith mutters. “That’s not something she’s just going to brush aside.  
  


“Yeah…” Gwendolyn mutters. “Your first kill is something you don’t tend to forget.”

  
And wasn’t that the truth? Belos still remembered his first, and that had been ages ago. He’d been a scrawny thing back then- barely able to hold an axe as he preferred to nowadays. Battle was always chaos, and he’d found himself entangled in combat with some lord’s son.

His opponent had every advantage, better training, better equipment. Hell, the boy even had some meat on his bones, unlike Belos, who had been barely surviving on rations at the time.

Alas, in a very similar fashion to his daughter, luck had been on his side.

He’d been too late to sidestep a lunge. The blow would have pierced just below his ribs, no doubt taking out a lung and leaving him open for the finishing blow, if the boy hadn’t slipped, losing his footing in the grass and dirt, trampled into mud in the maelstrom of battle.

It was a moment’s reprieve, but one he had seized with both hands…. And his axe.

The boy had been buried in a closed casket.

After that, it had become easier. He scarcely recalls his second, and his third he doesn’t care about- at a certain point, erasing armies was something he did not bat a finger at.

He just hopes his daughter never becomes like that.

\--

If Eda wasn’t getting new information on her kid soon, she was going to lose her mind. She’d been stuck here for the past… three, four hours? And that hadn’t even been the worst part.

The castle’s magical healers had insisted on checking up on her, even though she’d assured them of being fine no less than a dozen times, and even then they hadn’t budged. She had, at the very least, managed to wrestle an update on Amity’s condition from them. Severe magic fatigue, it seemed. No casting for at least a week for the girl, and that wasn’t even mentioning the weird aura of magic that the girl was positively _soaked_ in.

No, the worst part definitely was her own sister, and the probable new in-law, if their constant, horrifyingly sappy, down-right scarily affectionate banted. Sure, on the one hand, Eda absolutely adored seeing her sister open up to someone for once in her life. Seriously, good for her.

Two problems.

Some of the things said were sure to give _her_ nightmares, nevermind Amity. So, the moment baby Blight had opened her eyes, she’d all but thrown the two lovebirds out of the room.

A few minutes later, and much to her chagrin, they returned with a new arrival in tow.

Her eyes widened as the masked figure of the Emperor’s bone head appeared in the door opening, in three strides she crossed the room, getting up in his face.

“The kid, how is she doing?”

“As I told your sister earlier, she suffered no physical injuries of note. How her mind fares, however… I’m scared to say.”

Eda had feared as much. From the few words that they’d managed to pry from Belos in his frantic race to the castle, Luz had been forced to defend herself in a way no child should have to.

Luz would bounce back, that much Eda knew. It was just a question of what exactly it was going to take. Being confronted over pulling a prank on a bully, and killing someone? Those were two different things entirely.

If it had been at all possible, she would have happily turned that no good piece of shit into paste herself, if only to spare Luz having to do it.

Looking around, she guesses it’s a sentiment shared by all of them, even baby Blight- bless her soul.

“Edalyn Clawthorne, Amity Blight.” She turns to the form of Belos, as he looks over the room from his position, still in the doorway. “I wish to express my undying gratitude in your parts protecting my daughter. The offer I previously extended to Lilith and Gwendolyn is one I am making to you both. Name a reward, anything you wish- and I shall grant it to you.”  
  
Eda blinked, before leaning over to Lilith, whispering in her sister’s ear.

“Is he serious?”

“He is.” Lilith replied.

“Wow, what did you ask for?” Eda asked, causing Lilith to rub her neck awkwardly.

“I uh, I asked for the Clawthorne estate back, its rights will revert back to me within the day.”

That was a surprise. Eda had never really held much sentiment towards the house, especially after all that had occured after her banishment, but Lilith had down-right loathed the place after coming to join the emperor’s coven. Last time she’d asked Lilith had said she was glad to be rid of it.

“Huh, didn’t take you for the sentimental type, Lily.”  
  


“Don’t be ridiculous, Edalyn. You can’t expect me to live at the owl house forever.”  
  
“Why not?” Eda replied, mock hurt in her tone. Lilith didn’t reply, but her eyes flitted to- oh. Eda realized, following where her eyes had wandered off to momentarily- a certain raven haired assassin.

_Oh._

The Owl lady burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, all but doubling over as her cackles reverberated throughout the room.

“Yeah, probably for the best- walls are pretty thin over at my place.” She managed to wheeze out. causing Lilith’s cheeks to match her hair in colour.

“Eda, there are _children_ present.” Lilith hissed, trying to cover the owl lady’s mouth to no avail. 

After a few moments of hysterics, the giggles subsided. Eda uses her sister to pull herself back upright, wincing slightly at the creak her back makes.

“Well, I do have to say it’s a flattering offer, but I really can’t think of anything right now- unless… Is getting you to abdicate in favour of me an option?”  
  
“It is not.”

  
“Well damn.” Eda muttered. “Can I get a rain check on the offer or is this a now or never thing?”   
  
“I suppose it’s not unreasonable.” He muttered, before turning to the small green haired witch.

“I have something to discuss with young Amity here- would you all leave us for a moment?”  
  
Eda notices the way Amity tenses, and sighs, tapping Belos on the shoulder.

“Try not to freak her out, alright? Kid had a rough day.”

“I assure you, I merely wish to thank her…. And to _talk._ ” 

There’s a slight shift in his cloak, and when she looks down she sees a small orb of magical energy within his palm.

_So he noticed it too?_ Well, she supposes if anyone knows what exactly that odd magical aura that Amity has around her is, it’s bound to be him.

She flashes Amity a quick smile. “We’re right outside, just yell if you need us.” Amity manages the tiniest nod at that.

She turns to Lilith and Gwen, who seem to have retreated back into their own little world, and clasps both of them on the back.

“Let’s go ladies.” She mutters. “And no funny business, I’m chaperoning you.”  
  
“Edalyn you’re terrible.”

Eda snickers.

“I try my best.”

\--

There were times Amity had felt small, insignificant. When her mother scolded her after a sub-par performance, when her siblings had decided to play another “prank” on her.

Nothing compared to how she felt when the emperor turned around. The black holes in his mask seemed to lock onto her presence, staring through her.

He took a few steps towards her, before depositing himself on the bed Gwen had occupied earlier.

  
He leaned forward slightly, ever silent. Before-

He laughed.

A few dry chuckles, mind you, but he laughed nonetheless, and it was enough to have Amity shrink away from him, curling herself into a ball to make herself seem as small as possible.

“You have nothing to fear from me, Amity Blight.” He said, as his laughter subsided.

“My Emperor?” She choked out, her voice coming out small and unsteady.

“Speak frankly with me, please. After all, anyone willing to speak out an oath of banishment for my daughter’s sake has earned that right, and much more.”  
  
Amity’s eyes widened, she looked up in alarm, but Belos didn’t speak.

  
“How did you?”

“It’s old magic, much older than I would expect anyone of your age to know, but it was much more common once- in an age I still vividly remember.”

She put the meaning together almost instantly.

“The savage ages.” 

He inclined his head ever so slightly.

“I used one such oath on a few occasions, to deal with traitors, defectors and the like. It marks the offender as unworthy of even the worms. Powerful magic for one as young as you to weild.”  
  
“I- I heard my mother speak one such oath, once. One of our house staff had apparently done something unforgivable, and she cast him out. At least that’s what she told me.” Amity looked at her hands then, fisting at the hem of her shirt.

Belos sighed.

“I am being unfair to you, I did not come here as Emperor.” She heard an unfamiliar sound, but refused to look up, worried she might offend the most powerful man on the isles.

“I wish to thank you again, as Luz’ father.”  
  
The mention of Luz caused her to look up, meeting a sight she had no idea how to react to.

He was looking at her, and this time she could say that with certainty, because there was no mask in the way. He looked… Odd. Not the monstrous visage she had expected- definitely not the tentacles and hellfire that the nursery rhymes had depicted.

He looked… Normal, for lack of a more adequate descriptor. Though she struggled to find any resemblance to Luz in his inky hair and impossibly blue eyes.

“She gets it all from her mother, fortunately.”

Amity startled, flushing as she realized that she’d been caught staring, before giving him a questioning look. How had he known?

“I’m not reading your mind, if you are wondering. It’s just the most common response that my appearance elicits these days, I assume my guess was correct?”  
  
She nodded wordlessly, and there was the slightest of smiles that graced his lips.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” She tried, forcing herself not to address him by any honorific or title.

“Like I said earlier, I’m here as Luz’ father, and as her father. I have a request to make.”  
  
“Oh?” That piqued Amity’s curiosity.

“I understand you have grown… Fond of my daughter.”  
  
Amity turned red as a tomato at the words, stumbling over her words as she tries to muster up a response.

“I- uh, well…. We’re good friends.”

  
“Extremely so, it would seem- to the point that the words “head-over-heels” are used to describe what exactly you think of my daughter.” There was mirth in his tone, but Amity wasn’t listening anymore, her mind a whirling vortex of resignation and fear. This was it, wasn’t it? If Belos disapproved, that would be it.

“I…”  
  
“Fret not, my daughter’s friendships and… Other relations are not something I intend to busy myself with. That is up to her, and purely her.”   
  
Amity let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. A few tears pricked at her eyes at the sheer relief she felt when hearing that.

“What I am asking for you is…. Be there for her, what transpired earlier today. I’m sure they have tried to spare you the details, but-”  
  
“She- she killed someone, right?”   
  
Belos nodded. “Quite frankly, as much as we all wish she wouldn’t have had to. It was truly the only option she had at the time. Nevertheless, the consequences of such an action are… long lasting, oftentimes. You understand, right?”   
  
Amity nodded. She didn’t even want to _imagine_ what that was like. The thought of her being in Luz’ position sends a shiver up her spine.

“Look, I am… Not close with Luz. I’m trying to be there for her, but her trusting me is still a way’s off. Eda is closer still, but you? You’re her best friend, if what everyone has told me is correct. If- if it starts weighing too heavily on her. Please- be there for her, as whatever she needs you to be.”

Amity nodded. “Of course.”  
  
Belos laughed again.

  
“For what it’s worth, I approve.” He said, causing Amity to flush once more. “Now, onto the slightly less pleasant part of why I am here.”   
  
The mood dampened at that, significantly.

“What do you mean?”  
  
“Your parents. They are here.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, there it is. For those wondering why I didn't include Luz' confrontation with the last assassin in last chapter, this is why. I found doing it like this would leave a more lasting impact, hopefully it delivered.
> 
> Belos approves, Amity is happy
> 
> The Blight parents are arriving... yay?
> 
> As per usual, leave your comments down below and till next time!


	21. Decisions to be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) has, as per usual been amazing editing wise.
> 
> Ok so, fair warning, this chapter is quite short- and not one I'm particularly happy with. I hope to get back to my usual level of quality next chapter, speaking of said chapter, there is something fun that's gonna happen with that. But that's something that will be discussed later.

Getting a personal summons from the Emperor himself was rarely a good sign, Alador had found.

Getting a summons about his  _ daughter _ on the other hand?  _ That _ pushed him beyond worry beyond any form of rationalisation or logical thinking and straight into the inky blackness of fear.

He’d stormed into his wife’s study, and, within minutes both, of them were setting off towards the emperor’s castle. The twins had begged to come but Odalia had ordered them to stay and take care of Blight manor in their absence.

He briefly suggested protesting, but there was  _ something _ , in Odalia’s eyes that halted him. A weary acceptance drenched in horror and fear- and that train of thought led to his own travelling to a dark place.

All that had been said was Amity being at the castle, currently in the infirmary, and not conscious. Odalia probably feared the worst had happened, and, as much as the twins were a second fiddle to Amity in her eyes, they were still her children.

No doubt she wanted to spare them the sight of their little sister laid up in a hospital bed, or worse...

He couldn’t help but agree with her on that.

The journey to the castle was silent for the most part, neither Blight willing to give voice to the dark thoughts roiling within their minds, until the unmistakable plume of smoke that poured from the tallest tower of the emperor’s castle appeared in the distance.

“Do- do you think she’s…..” Odalia trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Alador had a sneaking suspicion as to what she was trying to say.

“I don’t know, but- knowing Amity…” He trailed off, realizing just what he was saying as Odalia looked at him.

Oh, who was he kidding. He had no right to say such a thing. Two days of paying attention to her after fourteen years of abject neglect discredited him from saying such a thing, in his mind.

“I don’t think so, I’d like to think Belos would have informed us of that-  _ if _ it happened.” He amended, and he latched onto that train of thought with both hands. Unwilling to accept anything else.

Odalia managed a shaky nod, and reached for his hand- he obliged her, giving her much smaller hand a (hopefully) comforting squeeze.

Amity was fine.

She had to be.

\--

The moment they arrived, Alador led them up to the infirmary. He had no doubt that, if not for the urge to keep up appearances, they would have simply ran up the stairs. They instead settled for a brisk walking pace as they climbed up the stairs.

As they entered the hallway leading into the infirmary, however, they saw a few figures leaning against the walls.

Alador couldn’t recall seeing the raven haired woman before, and the fiery redhead looked familiar yet- not?    
  
The  _ mane _ of greyish white hair however, that he recognised. And he did not like it, not one bit.

In unison, Alador and Odalia came to a halt, whatever conversation had been occuring quieting down as the three figures stared at them.

As probably should have been expected, Edalyn took the opportunity with both hands, coming to stand in the middle of the hallway, resting her staff across her shoulders with that same self-satisfied smirk that hadn’t changed since they were twelve planted firmly on her lips.

“Hey Al, what brings you here?” She cheerily said. Before turning to his wife.”Odalia.” 

“Eda….”

He suddenly recognised the redhead. Lilith Clawthorne. There was only one person that ever used that tone against Edalyn- equal parts tired disapproval and resigned to the trouble about to start.

Behind him, the clacking of heels started up once more, and he barely resisted the urge to facepalm as his wife walked out from behind him to meet Eda’s smug figure in the hallway, a thunderous expression carved into her features.

_ Oh no. Here we go. _

‘“I should have known… My daughter is in the infirmary and you’re here, tell me- what did you do? Convince them to go cow-spider tipping? Or maybe poke fun at the local Griffins again? Where is that spawn of yours anyways?”    
  
From the way Eda’s grip tightened on her staff at the word “spawn” Alador took a step forth, at the same time as Lilith did. There was a fight brewing, and he’d rather avoid it, should the option to do so arise.

“Odalia..” He put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to shoot him a glare.   
  
“Eda, come on- don’t start trouble.” Lilith tried, grabbing her sister’s arm. Unfortunately for the elder Clawthorne, speaking meant that Odalia recognised her.

Odalia had never liked Edalyn, but Lilith? She’d  _ despised _ Lilith, and the downright draconic look that washed over her face as the shock of the elder Clawthorne’s new look became apparent was evidence enough of that little tidbit.

“You. What the hell is this  _ traitor _ doing in these halls?” His wife hissed, causing the redhead to take a step back in shock.

Alador shook his wife gently, hoping to cease her tirade as he watched the raven haired woman push off of the wall, Edalyn taking a step in front of her sister- expression positively murderous now.

Odalia did not take the hint, instead pressing further.

“Do you wish for me to call the guards, have them send you off to your rightful place in the conformatorium?” 

What happened next, was not something any of them expected. The owl lady took a step forward, staff held like a club- no doubt with the intention of caving in the Blight matriarch’s skull. At that same time, Odalia took a step forward, drawing a magic spell in the air.

A fight seemed like the  _ only _ way this would end. Until a flash of silver shone brightly through the room, freezing everyone in their tracks.

Alador stood unmoving, statue-esque as he looked on in horror at the spectacle not five feet in front of him. The two Clawthornes were in much a similar state it seemed, though their expressions differed somewhat.

Lilith’s was one of equal parts relief, and horror, whilst Edalyn just looked smugly at the scene that had them all transfixed.

Specifically, the blade currently resting on Odalia’s throat, courtesy of the raven haired woman Alador had failed to recognise earlier.

_ He hadn’t even noticed her move- even on crutches. _

“Now then, are you quite done accusing people willy-nilly?” The woman spoke, a dangerous edge to her tone as her pale blue eyes seemed to bore their way through the Blight matriarch’s soul.

“How dare you.” Is all Odalia growls out. That infamous Blight pride rearings its head, Alador finds himself mirroring some of her indignation and fury. How dare  _ anyone _ put a blade to his wife’s neck?

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll put that blade away- lest I make sure your name is never again uttered by any soul, alive or dead.” He growls, summoning an abomination behind him.

She just looks at him, her expression belaying nothing but indifference and calm.

“Ok, go ahead, gonna be lovely watching you try to explain “erasing” me to Belos, though.”

Odalia scoffs. “Explain? You think we need answer to the emperor for disposing of an ungrateful wretch like you? You overestimate your worth severely.”

“Eh, you tend to do that when you’re his right hand woman.” 

From her cloak, emerges a mask. A  _ very _ familiar mask. Alador finds his mouth begin to dry as he realizes just  _ who _ is currently a twitch away from opening his wife’s throat from ear to ear.

Odala, thankfully, is not far behind him on the front of realization, and even from behind her, he can see her skin turn a deathly pale.

The silence that stretches forth then, is ten times as laden with tension as the one prior. 

Of course, Edalyn is in the room, so-

“She’s a keeper, Lily, that’s for sure.”   
  
The tension breaks with an indignant whine of “Edaaaa.” From Lilith, and a low chuckle from the assassin, who thankfully lowers her blade.

Odalia uses the opportunity to take a step back, and he sweeps forward, checking her neck for any signs of wounds. He catches not a nick on his wife’s neck, though the fact it could very easily have been a red ruin at this point does little to ease his nerves.

“So, for reference’s sake- both Clawthornes here aren’t even criminals, haven’t been for about two and a half weeks, Belos himself pardoned the both of them. Also, the two of them are the only reason I, much less your kid, am still breathing.

Odalia perks up at the mention of Amity. “She’s alright?” 

To all their surprises, Eda is the one that answers. 

“Yeah. Magic fatigue and a few scrapes but that’s it. I’m honestly impressed. Kid was running on fumes seemingly even before me and Lily got there, but she still pushed on.”   
  
“What exactly… Happened?” Alador asks. Just then a door opens

“They were attacked.”

All eyes turn to the source of the voice, finding none other than the Emperor himself standing in the door opening.

“Attacked, by who?” Odalia asks.

“Come with me, we have much to discuss.”

\--

“So, what you’re telling me. Is that Amity and her… Friend, Luz, were playing in a clearing just beyond Bonesborough.”   
  
“Indeed.”   
  
“They were attacked by a group of fanatical cultists that renounce your preaching and the titan’s will- intent on murdering first Luz, and then both her and Amity.”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“And were subsequently saved by first your assa- Gwendolyn, then the Clawthorne sisters, and afterwards you?”   
  
“That is the long and short of it, yes.” Belos nodded. The heads of the Blight household were ushered off towards the council chambers, where they had been informed of the situation that had occurred earlier today.

  
  


Of course, some details had been omitted- specifically the true identity of the assailants, as well as Luz’ unfortunate last ditch act of self defense. Though, there was one last thing that he had failed to mention before, he supposed it was only right if he shared it now.

“I apologize for not allowing the two of you to check up on your daughter first, but there was something you needed to be made aware of prior to meeting her.” He looked to Gwendolyn, and even with his mask on, she perked up the moment his eyes fell on her.

“During, or more accurately- prior to the attack, Amity cast out an oath of banishment.”

“She did  _ what?! _ ” Odalia hissed, eyes bugging out of her head as she lurched forth with the shock of the words.

“Why would she do such a thing?” Alador asked.

“Apparently, a deal was offered. Amity was offered to stand aside and let the assassins kill Luz, in exchange she was offered a myriad of things.”   
  
“Those fucking lowlives.” Growled Eda, and Lilith’s hands were white-knuckled upon her arm rests. Alador and Odalia themselves looked slightly pale at the information as well.

“So, the kid didn't just refuse the offer, she cast a multi-century old curse that’s probably older than her entire bloodline in reply? Yeesh, the kid sure doesn’t pull any punches. Luz is lucky to have her.” Gwendolyn laughed. And Belos noticed a slight inclination of the Blight patriarch’s head at the statement.

He had to keep that particular morsel in mind for a later date, right now however there was something more important that needed doing.

He fixed Gwendolyn with another stare, her temper shifting immediately from lax to a more concerned look.

“The reason I brought up the oath is- it still stands, the person that she cast it out on was a man- bald with a massive scar running across most of his face, referred to himself by the name “Horace”.

Gwen slumped down in her chair at the name. He saw the elder Clawthorne place a hand on her shoulder, the two shared a quick look between the two of them.

“The reason I am telling you all this, is that I want him, any others that might have escaped, and anyone that might have had any information on this attempt on my daughter’s life found, and brought to me.”

Odalia stood up instantly, followed quickly by Alador. “House Blight stands with you. Our daughter might have made the choice, but it is not one we will question in this case- they have made an enemy out of us.” The Blight matriarch said, and her voice promised naughted but blood and death to the people who had dared to harm her youngest child. Alador nodded in solemn agreement.   
  
“Very well. You are dismissed.”   
  
Both Blight parents nodded, before quickly taking their leave from the room. Which left him with one last point of discussion, and one he was not looking forward to.

“I had my best assassin watching over her. Two of the most powerful witches on the isles- and even myself were there. And yet, it still was not enough.”

“I apologize. I failed you.” Gwendolyn tried, but he just brushed her apology aside.

“Nonsense, you haven’t failed me. Even I wasn’t able to prevent what happened today, and if I were to call you holding off the brunt of their numbers for long enough for the Clawthornes to arrive a  _ failure _ , that speaks ill of us all. But that’s not the point. The point is that something  _ has _ to be done.”   
  
“You’re not thinking they are already planning another strike, are you?” Lilith asked.

“I am.” He admitted. “They see me as a monster, a usurper, a tyrant and something to destroy, quite frankly their assessment is not all that incorrect. I have bathed these lands in blood and slept unbothered by that fact for decades… But Luz? She bears no sin besides being born my daughter, and they still treat her like a dog to be put down. They will not stop coming for her. They know she is far from realizing her power, weak, easy prey- they must strike now before she comes into her power, or their chance will have passed them by.”

“Yeah, that’s not good. You sure we can’t just track them down somehow?” Eda asked.

He fought against himself not to laugh. Ideally it would have been the best option, but such a thing was the exact thing he had been trying to do for fifty years, with very little to show for it. Quite frankly, he hated the very air they breathed, but even he had to begrudgingly admit that they were excellent at covering their tracks.

“If only it were so easy.” He muttered.

Thankfully, there was an end in sight. The machine was nearly finished, a few more days and it would be ready to activate on the day of unity. After that, well…. He had some plans to rat them out, finally.

But- that left him with about one and a half months worth of time left, meaning there were at least 40 days for which he needed to keep Luz safe.

It hadn’t even been two weeks since her identity had been revealed, and she’d already nearly died once. The math was not in his favour and he knew it. He was willing to bet those bastards knew it too.

“Whatever ends up happening, this cannot continue.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“That she remains here for the rest of her time on the isles, under guard. Of course there will be arrangements made for her to be taken to and from schoo-”   
  
The shrieking of a chair was all the warning he had before a voice, crackling with magical energy thundered through the room.

“ **_WHAT?!_ ** ”

Belos sighed. He knew this was going to happen.

“Edalyn, what else do you suggest?”

The look she gave him was one of sheer disappointment. “How about asking her instead?”

He sighed. “We both know she’s not going to agree to stay here normally.”   
  
“And shouldn’t that give you enough of an idea as to why it’s a bad idea?”   
  
“What would you have me do?”   
  


“I don’t know, maybe  _ consider _ her opinions? Last time you didn’t do that you ended up getting your ass kicked by a 14 year old as she took off in the middle of the night. You want  _ that _ to happen when there’s people actively trying to kill her?”   
  
That… was a good point.

“Hell, what about her friends? You seriously expect for them to come all the way to the castle every time they want to do anything? You really think she’s not going to sneak out to meet with them, whether you sanction it or not.”   
  
Edalyn deflated as she argued, looking older than her forty-something years would bely. He was somewhat touched by how much she cared, but it seemed she wasn’t done yet.

“Look, Belos I do not like you, probably never will- but for all your flaws, I can see you have the best intentions regarding the kid. I’ll give you that much at the very least… Which is why I am saying this. Talk. To. Her. You want to be in her life, not controlling it. And from what the kid told me, you’re actually making some decent headway there, but if you do this, if you strip away her choice right now, she  _ will _ hate you for it.”   
  
And if that wasn’t hitting the nail on the head. 

“But that’s just the thing. I want her safe. That is my priority. I’d rather have her hate me for a hundred years, as long as she’s  _ alive _ for those years. I’d rather have her despise me for the rest of her life, than finding her with a slit throat in some back alley because I allowed her to go about her day.”

Silence stretched over the room. Neither side willing to back down on their points, the staring match intensified by the second. Neither the owl lady or the Emperor willing to concede.

Suddenly however, a third voice spoke up.   
  
“I might have a solution.”   
  
All eyes turned to the elder Clawthorne, who had just stood up from her chair. There was a beat of silence before Belos realized she was waiting for his permission to speak.

“Lilith, you are no longer under my employ, you need not wait for permission.”   
  
Lilith blushed, shooting a small glare at Gwen as she chuckled, before clearing her throat.

“The Clawthorne estate.”   
  
Eda frowned. “What do you mean?”   
  
“What I mean, is that the estate will be passed into my hands shortly. It’s guarded by at least two dozen wards and spells, has a gigantic track of land around it, and is much closer to Bonesborough than the castle is. You could even move back in, Eda.”   
  
Eda scoffed. “As much as I’d like to return to the place of childhood nightmares, I’ve got my own house. And we both know Hooty would take offense if I just packed up and left.”   
  
Lilith shuddered at the name, and Belos was confused. Who exactly was Hooty?   
  
“I mean… You could always just… Move him onto the property. Ideally, as far away from the house as possible, but still. It would allow us to keep her safe, and allow her the most freedom.”   
  
Belos sighed.

“Your logic is sound, and I see wisdom in your arguments, so if you both think it is the best course of action.. I will allow it.”   
  
His tone took on a magical edge then, as his eyes began to glow.

“But, should  _ anything _ happen to her, not even you will be spared my wrath.”   
  
Eda scoffed, but held out a hand.   
  
“Seems reasonable. Shake on it?”   
  
He sighed once more. But grasped her hand.

  
“Very well.”   
  
Just then, a tidal wave of magic crashed into those present. The owl lady, her sister and even his assassin found their knees falling out from underneath them as they were sent to the ground by the blast’s concussive force. Even Belos found his knees straining to keep him upright.    
  
He reached out, trying to track down exactly what was causing it, and stumbled upon an impossibility. That spell should have put her under for at least four more hours, maybe even a day.

And yet.

Luz was awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, as I said, not too happy with it. But thankfully next chapter will be really interesting at least. Hopefully enough to make up for this chapter's lacking content
> 
> As for the other thing I mentioned, someone- well, something new will be introduced in the next chapter, and I will be asking you all to name the creature
> 
> for a short description. Semi-aquatic, scaly, quite large, short legged, noodle like body and was named by the young Clawthornes. 
> 
> Go wild.
> 
> As per usual, please leave kudos and comments, even if this is a chapter I'm unsure deserves kudos ngl.


	22. The new normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) is awesome, check her stuff out, she's been a great help with editing these chapters
> 
> Well, this is the chapter in which the community named creature will appear, hope I didn't disappoint!

Magic was, to a certain extent, tangible. Though none of the normal senses could quite experience the sensation that was magic, _feeling_ magic was something most mages have experienced.  
  
To those proficient in elemental arts, it’s the warm glow of the hearth, or the tingling that comes with static electricity.  
  
For the builders and bakers, it’s the feeling of satisfaction after completing a task, or the instinctual urge to improve and do better with every pass.

To the illusionists and the beast keepers, it’s like the comfortable weight of a blanket on your shoulders, or the sensation a purring cat pressed up against you will invoke.

Feeling magic, that is not something all that uncommon. Feeling pure- unrestrained, _wild_ magic however? _That_ was another feeling entirely.  
  
There were simultaneously a thousand and no words to describe the sensation that washed over them. It was akin to being at the bottom of the sea, being crushed by the unrelenting pressure of the ocean around them, and simultaneously being in freefall, the helplessness and adrenaline flowing freely.

It rolled over them, like waves of miasmatic plague, robbing their postures of sturdiness and their lungs of air, inducing vertigo and a hundred other unpleasant sensations.

The only one currently fighting against the onslaught of pure psychic might was Belos, and even _he_ was having trouble keeping his footing. He scarcely recalls ever having another being’s magical aura affect him, and never to this extent. It’s strangely humbling, and utterly horrifying.

His eyes close, and whatever concentration he can muster up is poured straight into locating the source of the blast.  
  
First he finds the Blights, huddled together underneath a shield spell, both adults draped over the youngest of them all.

Then he senses Kikimora, passed out on the ground in one of the higher reaches of the castle.  
  
Then- he spots something that worries him. 

The titan’s heart, thrumming happily as it beats in sync with the pulsating field of magic. Something to look into at a later date. Right now however there’s a more pressing issue to be dealt with.

He extends the reach of his bubble, until it encompasses the entire castle and most of the valley it’s located within, he senses every single witch and demon within the immediate vicinity. All shining like fireflies upon a moonlit lake.

All except one, one that burns brighter than the stars in comparison. He hones his mind on the massive power contained within, and focuses his mind.

And then, he finds it. Within the highest reaches of the tower- his personal bedroom. Luz, as he had expected. Nothing else would have been able to simply output such a stupendous amount of power.

  
It takes him a few moments to fully lock onto the signature, moments desperately needed for a successful teleportation, lest he manifest within one of the castle’s walls. 

He looks over the room a last time, and he focuses on biting off each syllable, making sure they hear him over the massive pressure.

“You are all dismissed.”

With a deep breath and the thrumming of magic on his fingertips, he loses all structure, pooling into the floor, before disappearing entirely.

When he takes shape again, the sight that greets him within his private chambers is one of utter ruin.

His wardrobe has been reduced to kindling, the desk where most of his work is done is reduced to a pile of splinters and nails, ink is splattered across the walls, windows are blown out of their frames and paperwork is swirling around within the magical vortex raging around within the singular room.

The massive carved wooden bed of his is the only thing standing still, yet even it is beginning to succumb to the power exerted on it. The frame is creaking, wood groaning as the low shrieking of wood on stone begins to echo forth as the magical winds take hold and begin yanking at the massive frame.

Sitting atop the bed, anchoring the covers whipping around in the magical gales to the mattress, is Luz. 

She looks tiny, curled up into a ball, hugging her knees, untouched by the chaos mere inches from her body.

“LUZ!” He cries out, and she doesn’t even react to the sound of his voice. There’s no doubt in his mind she’s dissociating, unable to comprehend just exactly where she is.

The magic swirling around her, deafening in its silence, allows him to hear one thing clear as day, however. Small sobs wracked her body. He hears a few stifled sniffles and watches a trio of tears drip onto the comforter she is sat upon, and he freezes for a moment.

_He had no idea how to do this._

He knew not the words that would calm her down, and those that would simply aggravate her more, he surely had no clue how to deal with any of this.

Looking at her then, curled up on the bed, galvanized his resolve. Such a release of power, especially when not used to it- the consequences if she ends up exhausting her reserves will be… Dire, at _best_ , and fatal at worst.

He might not have any idea how to do this. 

But he’ll have to do.

Now then how to- _oh shit._  
  
He ducks as the winds lash out, sending a few of his prized weapons careening off of their wall mounts, launching them straight at the Emperor, who barely manages to move himself out of the way as the massive axe he’d favoured in his conquering days buries itself in the stone wall of his chambers.

_That was close._

He sees a broadsword launch itself out of the window, followed by a few flails and a bardiche, though not everything seems content to just make life easy for him and follow the sword. A few dozen knives of varying sizes still within the magical storm.

Well, the addition of various stabbing implements to the hurricane force winds is an… unfortunate development. Still, he has somewhere to be.

  
Muttering a quick incantation under his breath, a barrier forms around him, and he moves forward. The winds intensify as he moves towards the girl curled up on the bed, each foot of progress he makes, the winds push him back half that distance again. making moving slow and tedious.  
  
Whilst the barrier might prevent the various flying objects from battering against his form, unfortunately the winds themselves don’t count. The winds catch his cloak, wrapping it around him once- twice, and causing the fabric to begin acting as a sail. Even with all his best efforts, he can feel himself begin to slip away. 

_This isn’t working._

He shoots her another worried glance, looking for any signs of magical exhaustion. He finds none, but he cannot dawdle. He needs to get out of this cloak and stop her, before it’s too late.

He rips the Emperor’s symbol off of his form with a grunt, the golden clasp soon swallowed up by the magical vortex. Next he grabs his mask, gently taking it off before grabbing the back of the coif draped over his head yanking it up over his head and allowing it- and the cloak attached to it- join the claps as they swirl around his daughter.  
  
Now clad in just his black robes, he finds it a lot easier to slowly make his way to the bed.

“Luz, calm down. Please.” He tries again, now much closer to her weeping form. Again no response.

Redoubling his efforts, one of his hands manages to catch the edge of the footboard. He uses the newfound purchase to drag himself- with massive effort, onto the bed.

She looks even smaller like this, curled up as she is. The winds blow even stronger now, her magical output increasing moment by moment, a sign that bodes nothing but ill will.

He’s almost reached her when something batters him aside, more like an invisible fist that knocks the wind out of him rather than the howling winds around them, knocking him into- and nearly _through-_ the footboard, if the creaking sound it makes is anything to go by.

Even as the entire room slowly rips itself apart, he only has eyes for the tiny girl sat there.

Then, she looks up- eyes glassed over and face pale, and she lets out a shaky breath. One that makes it clear she’s almost at her limit.

He’s got her in his arms before his mind catches up to his actions, tucking her into his chest as the momentum carries him forth, dragging him off of the bed and onto the cold stone floor.

At once, the silence is broken. The clattering of wood and metal falling onto stone drowns out every other sound for a few moments, before silence reigns again.  
  
He realizes he’s breathing heavily moments later, the air feeling too thin for comfort as he looks at the figure in his arms.  
  
Blue meets brown, as Luz looks at him confusedly.

“Huh?” She mutters, touching a hand to her temple. She looks at the state of the room, at the utter chaos in every nook and cranny, and back to Belos.

“What the hell happened here?”

Belos sighs. “You don’t recall?”

Luz shakes her head, before immediately regretting it. The lights feel too bright, the air too cold, and her head feels like it’s trying to pound its way out of her skull.

She recalls something, a blurred haze of metal and anger, she recalls a chill in her lungs and the feeling of wetness all over her front.  
  
She sees two eyes glass over in front of her, and watches a small river of red liquid- blood, trickle down her arm.

“-UZ!”  
  
“LUZ, CALM DOWN!”  
  


And then, just as quickly as that, she’s not in the unfamiliar room anymore. She’s running through the woods, trying desperately to keep her lungs filled with oxygen as blades pass her head by mere inches.  
  
She’s not curled up against her father, she’s pressed against the tree by a red cloaked figure with mirth on his face and murder in his eyes.

She’s not gently being rocked back and forth, she’s pinned underneath a massive frame, unable to struggle free as- as.

She screws her eyes shut, tries to at least- but those eyes, they’re still _there_. No matter how she tries, she can’t look away, she watches the light dim and fade. Her eyes only then manage to tear themselves away, locking onto something even worse.

She can still feel the disgusting wetness of blood trickling down her arm, from a massive hole within her would-be killer’s chest. The coppery tang almost makes her throw up, and realization hits her like springtime thunder.

She lets out a shriek, she’s stuck and she can’t move and she’s going to die, she’s going to die, her head is pounding and her legs are shaking and her breath is ice and-

A massive hand reaches down, and she freezes, it moves down to her throat, she feels like crying, but there’s no tears left. All she can do is look in silent terror and hope that, at the very least- it’ll be quick.

_I’m sorry, mami._

To her surprise, however- it doesn’t close itself around her neck, doesn’t position itself to crush her trachea or snap her neck.  
  
A single finger nestles under her chin, and gently tilts it upwards. Until a familiar face is in view.

Those eyes- the very first time she’d seen them had brought with it a feeling of dread she’d never experienced before. Now, however? The tension flows from her in droves as she relaxed into what she now realizes is her fa- Belos’ embrace.

“Are you alright, little light?”  
  
Luz can’t bring herself to lie.

“No.”

He nods, and she can see something behind those blue eyes _shatter._

She takes another look around the room, cringing at the tattered remains of what had no doubt once been a meticulously kept space.  
  
“Sorry.”

A soft chuckle meets her ears in response.

“It’s fine, it can all be mended, the fact you are al- unharmed, that is enough for me right now.”

“I- just, how did I do all this?”

“I think you know the answer to that already.”

And she did, it was just… 

“Was just this room affected?”  
  


The beat of silence that followed was answer enough.

“How far?”  
  
“It reached us down in the council chambers, and to a few of the outer watch posts, too.”  
  
_Oh._

Belos must have noticed the way she’d stiffened upon hearing that, because she was shifted slightly then, raised up as the massive lord of the isles rose to his feet. And, if she clutched onto the front of his jacket? shirt? thingy, then neither made mention of it.

“Would you like to get some fresh air?”  
  
She shook her head.  
  
“Alright.”  
  
WIth that, she was deposited back onto the bed ever so softly. Belos took a few steps.

“Is there anything you’d want?”  
  
Luz tried to open her mouth, but a low rumble from her stomach cut her off. Her cheeks flushed as a cheeky grin ghosted across the taller of the room’s two occupants’ face. Luz thought it looked… Odd, but right, in a strange way.

“Well then, anything you want in particular?”

Luz nodded slowly. “Remember that soup, the brown one with the red bits?”  
  
He nodded slowly. “I’m sure the castle’s chef can work with that description, now I’ll be right back.”  
  


With that, he turned back and left. At the same time, Luz’ eye caught something lying on the bed sheets.

His mask.  
  
“Wait you forgot… This…” She trailed off, watching as the door slammed shut. She could faintly hear the footsteps moving down the stairs.

Well…. This ought to be interesting.

\--

There was something odd about the castle, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. People were likely still dazed from Luz’ accidental magical surge so maybe it was that?  
  
He moved through the castle with purpose, knowing every hallway and how to get to his destination the fastest. He had a moment’s pause as to why every guard he came across merely regarded him owlishly, instead of standing at attention, but he’d drill that into them at a later date.

They’d doubtlessly complain, but if a fourteen year old girl managed to evade them time and time again, they were simply insufficiently trained for the duties expected of them.  
  
Alas, pitiful incompetence that he somehow hadn’t been made aware of aside, he was nearly there, he just needed to get past the infirmary and then onto the kitchens.

_Maybe he should visit the infirmary once more?_

Specifically… The young Blight girl. He had no doubts that Gwen had already dragged herself out of the castle, even against doctor’s orders, no doubt meaning Lilith and Edalyn were gone too… Edalyn might have stayed, but even she would likely know there was nothing she could do right now. 

The thought of the Bl- he mentally admonishes himself, she’d earned the privilege of being referred to by name.  
  
Amity. The girl’s name brings a slight smile to his lips. There had been doubts in his mind when Gwendolyn had told him of Amity’s apparent… infatuation, with his daughter. The Blights were notoriously ambitious, and he was worried about the chance of Luz being used in some sort of pitiful political game.

The fact Amity hadn’t just stood by, hadn’t just helped Luz, the fact that she’d cast out that oath without hesitation- that had earned his gratitude, and his blessing.

That, along with her response after he’d asked her once agai what she would want, with basically anything being up for grabs. The smile that had grown on his face at that probably would have classified as “warm” on any other person.

“ _I- I don’t really know? Maybe the newest Azura book? I’ve been reading Luz’ copy and she’s probably forgotten to ask it back and if I give it back now-”_ _  
_ _  
_ He’d cut her off then, telling her it would be arranged, and that her wish would be saved for a later date, if she were alright with it.  
  
She’d nodded immediately, eyes sparkling.  
_  
_ _Love truly is the death of logic._ He can’t help but think, as he gazes out of the massive windows on his way to the infirmary. A boon from the emperor himself, unlimited power at her beck and call, and she asks for a book because she felt bad about borrowing his daughter’s for so long.

Two months ago, he’d have been disgusted at the display of Naïve stupidity, he’d have mocked her and thought her unworthy of his presence.  
  
Right now, however, that little exchange had him smiling from ear to ear.  
  
He passed by the infirmary, opting to leave the Blights to their devices for the moment. He could always check up on them later. Though, when the door opened and Alador Blight stepped out, he couldn’t help but let curiosity get the best of him.

“Ah, Alador, how are you?”  
  
Alador froze, head turning slowly to look at him, there was something… Uncertain in his expression, something that bothered Belos.  
  
“Is there something wrong?”  
  
Alador flinched at the question, before composing himself again.  
  
“Nothing is wrong, my emperor.”  
  
Belos nodded. “That is good, walk with me.” And with that, the Emperor continued his trek down to the kitchens.  
  
After a dozen or so paces however, he frowned- he heard no footsteps behind him, turning back he found Alador still standing in his original position, seemingly rooted to the spot.  
  
“Are you coming or not?”  
  
Soon enough the telltale sound of rushing footsteps met his ears, and both of them departed towards the kitchens.

“Uh, my emperor, might I ask a question?”  
  
Belos quirked an eyebrow as he looked to Alador, but nodded.

“Of course.”  
  
“What… Was that, just now?”

Belos’ stride faltered for a moment,quickly collecting himself he let out a sigh. 

“It seems that my daughter has… Taken today’s events harder than I could have imagined.”

Alador balked at that.

“The _human_ did _that_?”

The glare Belos shot Alador was nothing short of withering, and the Blight patriarch shrunk back considerably under the weight of the emperor’s gaze.

“N-not b- because she’s a human or anything… I just thought she had no magic?” 

“Her lack of Bile sack would suggest so, yes. But nevertheless, magic is in her blood, just like it is mine.”  
  
From the way Alador blanched, Belos knew he’d caught onto the hidden meaning behind his words. There was power within Luz, power great enough to eclipse any other, power enough to rival his own.

“Such _might_. Truly one that is worthy of the title of your successor.” the Blight’s tone was near reverence, and yet Belos couldn’t help but scoff at the statement.

Alador seemed confused. “My emperor?”

Belos let out a tired sigh. “Her title is one that carries with it one certainty- she is my daughter. I haven’t the faintest as to her interest in the throne, and whichever choice she makes regarding that, I will respect it.”  
  
“But surely, you would wish for your line’s rule over these isles to continue?” There it was, that infernal Blight ambition.  
  
“I wish for these isles to prosper, nothing more, nothing less.” Belos bit back, tone harsher than he intended.

“Understood, my emperor.”

The pair continued in relative silence for a few minutes, navigating through the winding passages and spiralling staircases in unison, though a few moments before arriving at the Emperor’s destination, the head of the abomination coven spoke up once more.

“With all due respect, my emperor. What did you need me for?”  
  
_And if that weren’t the million snail question?_

Belos opened his mouth to speak, but closed it after a moment, brow furrowed in frustration as he tried to find the correct words.

“I- You’re a father yourself, two girls and a boy. Correct?” Alador nodded. “There’s- something happened, earlier today. The reason for her magical outburst ties back into that and… I’ve got no idea what to do.”  
  
His shoulders sagged, and his eyes turned to the ground. He didn’t know if it was pure frustration or simply desperation, but in that moment there was no game to be played, and no image to uphold.

“She, she needs someone right now, someone she can talk to, someone who can help her and- I fear I am woefully equipped to be that person.”  
  
He chuckled woefully. “You must find your emperor pathetic, don’t you?”  
  
Yet, no laughter rang out.

He looked to the Blight patriarch, and sighed once more. A thousand emotions whirled behind those brown eyes. Regret, frustration, sadness, anger, longing, guilt.. and empathy, not a hint of pity within them. 

“You’ve come to the wrong place, if you think I can help you.” Alador said, after a beat, regret lacing every syllable.

  
Belos just looked at him confusedly, prompting the brown haired witch to continue.

“When Emira and Edric were seven, there was an outbreak of dragon pox, remember?” Alador asked.  
  
Belos remembered. Dragon pox was a horrid disease, and an outbreak like that year hadn’t been seen in decades.

“Edric caught it within the first two weeks of the outbreak. Never seen a sight so miserable, the hard boils, the wet coughs… horrible.” Alador’s stare was glassed over, he was likely remembering the sight itself vividly.  
  
“Emira was besides herself. The two were always inseparable- still are. But she wouldn’t eat, barely slept, all she wanted to do was to be with her brother… Of course she didn’t understand the reasons for their separation, she was just a small child, after all.”

Alador pinches the bridge of his nose then, letting out a shaky breath. His entire frame seems to age twenty years as the memory plays across his mind.

“So, I took her out, took her into the town to just take her mind off the fact her brother might be dying. Bought her all these fancy dresses and toys, happiest I’d seen her in a while, and when she hugged me after coming back, and she _thanked_ me. Not for buying her all that stuff, but for spending the day with her for once- me, her father. I didn’t even respond. I just retreated back up to my study.”

He looked Belos dead in the eye then, and there was a finality behind his words that encompassed a regret so strong Belos had scarcely seen it before.

“If you’re looking for someone to cast stones here, you’ve come to the wrong sinner.”  
  


A beat of silence passed between the two men, neither sure how to continue beyond that confession. Belos spotted the royal cookery up ahead, and with a wave of his hand, dismissed the other man.

“Very well, you may go…. Thank you.”

\--

He returned back to the tower half an hour later, a cast iron pot full of soup in one hand, and two bowls with associated cutlery in the other, moving at a steady pace up the massive winding staircase.  
  
It had only taken the head chef ten minutes to whip up the dish. After that, Belos had taken a slight detour to check up with Kikimora and confirm the whereabouts of everyone.  
  
As he had expected, the Blights had taken their youngest and left back towards the manor, whilst Gwendolyn had been dragged off by the Clawthornes, Eda apparently asking Kiki to relay a message. “Make sure the kid’s okay.”  
  
All in all, everything was going swimmingly. The only thing that confused him was Kikimora’s bemused expression all the while he’d been talking to her.

Coming up to the top of the stairs, he gently set the pot of soup down, before knocking thrice on the black wooden door, reckoning it would be a good idea to announce his arrival, lest she spook and trigger another episode.

“I’m back.” He said.

After a moment, he got a reply.  
  
“Come in!”  
  
With that he pushed inside the room, finding his daughter sitting cross-legged on the floor, some paper in front of her, along with a quill and some ink that he had no idea were even still in his room, much less _intact_.

  
“Soooo, what did they say?” She said, giving him a look he couldn’t quite place.

“What do you mean?” He asked, setting the pot of food on the floor, joining her as he handed her a bowl.

Luz accepted the bowl, before reaching behind her back and pulling out- oh no.

His hand instantly went to his face, finding- to his horror, that there was nothing separating it from everyone’s view. No wonder why everyone had given him all those odd looks.

“Well, that explains a lot.” He groaned, grabbing a ladle and pouring himself a portion, before motioning for Luz to hand him her own bowl. The weird looks and Kikimora’s amusement included.

She stuck the bowl forward, giggling as he filled it up with spicy broth.

The two ate in silence, both going for seconds and simply enjoying the silence for a bit. It was nice, he supposed. Gave him room to think on the things Alador had said, one thing in particular.

_She thanked me. Not for buying her all that stuff, but for spending the day with her for once- me, her father._

He was sure he’d never seen such honesty from the normally stoic faced Blight, even in the most heated council arguments, where insults and- on occasion, spells- flew with abandon, never had he seen that before, and it gave him pause.

The last time prior to today that he’d spent any time with her, whilst it _had_ ended with tales of his exploits when first entering the human realm, she hadn’t come for any of the sort.

She’d come for magic, for knowledge. It might have ended up being a memory he thought of fondly, but he’d never actually simply… Just been with her, at least not without ulterior motives. There was always a reason behind it.

He finds shame washing over him as the realization sets in, letting out a sad chuckle that has Luz looking at him with a confused expression before she digs back into her food.

_He’s really not gone about this the right way, has he?_

Edalyn’s advice was solid, loathe he was to admit it, but it wasn’t enough. Allowing her to be, respecting her decisions, all that wasn’t enough.  
  
At least, that’s what it felt like.  
  
Then, he spots something, lying in a destitute heap on the other side of the bed. With a groan that makes him painfully aware of his age, he gets to his feet, moving to it, he reaches over, grabbing the tattered fabric as Luz asks him what it is through a mouth of broth.

“Swallow your food first.” He says without thinking, and the groan she lets out is one that makes him chuckle.

“Yes daaaad.” She groans. And he nearly chokes on air as the sentence registers.

After a moment, most of which is spent trying to get himself to remember breathing is a thing, he turns to her, the torn fabrics in his hands.  
  
Her smile turns a bit fragile, as she points her spoon at the former cape.

“Did I do that?”  
  
“It was more so the various knives you whirled up, rather than any action of your own.” He tries for a joke, but he can already see the girl begin to slip back into her mind, and that is something he desperately wants to avoid.

“Well… Since this _is_ partially your fault.”  
  
“Hey, you just said it _wasn’t_ my fault!” She shoots back, causing him to roll his eyes.

“I’m the emperor, what I say goes.”  
  
She crosses her arms with a huff. “Abuse of power.”  
  
That time he cannot hold back the chuckle that bubbles forth from his lips.

  
“Th- that being as it may.” He says, as the chuckles fade out. “There _is_ something you can do to repay me for this?”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“I seem to recall a certain ball coming up, quite soon too.” He says, and Luz nods after a moment.

“Well, you see.” He says, holding up the tatters of his cloak. “This was my good cloak.”  
  
(It’s not, he has a dozen like it, but she needn’t know that.)  
  


“What are you saying?”  
  
“Well.” He begins, making a show of walking back around the bed, coming to a stop in front of Luz. “I assume that you are lacking a dress for the dance, which would put you in the same situation as I am right now- wouldn’t you agree?”  
  
Luz’ eyes shot to the ground, a guilty look on her face as she twiddled her thumbs. “I was just gonna go in my Grom dress, if I’m honest.”  
  
“And still, I invite you to come with me, just you and me. No royalty stuff, no weird looks, we’ll make it a day, what do you say?”

Luz just looks at him in confusion.

“Wait, how are you planning on doing that? You're not exactly the least noticeable person, and basically the entire isles know my face.”  
  
“Well, outside of the castle, there’s nary a soul alive that knows what i look like, and as for you?”  
  
He shot a tiny orb at her face, making the girl sneeze, before conjuring forth a mirror.

“See for yourself?”  
  
Luz gasped as she looked in the mirror. Her eyes- normally brown, were a beautiful green, her hair, whilst still short, was to her shoulders now, and another- _very familiar_ shade of green, and her ears?  
  
They were pointy.

She looked to the emperor, with wonder in her eyes.

“How?” She muttered  
  
He just chuckled, mouthing “magic” before waving his hand again.  
  
When she looked in the mirror again, her normal reflection greeted her once more.

“So, that will not be a problem, what do you say?”  
  
Luz nodded. “Deal.”  
  
Belos’ smile was nothing short of adoring at that. “Wonderful.”

Luz blinked, before shooting Belos a confused look. “Wait… How did you even know I liked Azura?”  
  
“I- I uh have my sources.”  
  
“It was Eda, wasn’t it?”  
  
“As a matter of fact, it was not.”  
  
“What’s she even doing, anyways?”

\--

“C’mon Hooty, don’t be a pain.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hoot.”  
  
“Gah, why are you always so difficult.”  
  
The scene before them was… Odd, to say the least. Well, it was in line with what Lilith _expected_ of Edalyn, but, based off of Gwendolyn’s expression, she wasn’t used to it at all.  
The taller woman was currently leaning against Lilith, one arm around her shoulder for support, the other clutching a crutch, and Lilith would be the biggest liar in the isles if the arm draped across her shoulder didn’t cause something warm to blossom in her chest.

There was a tugging at her leg then, and, looking down- she spotted King, looking at her with fury and… Were those tears? In his eyes.

“Liliiiith, Help me!”  
  
“With what?” She asked, looking confused at the small demon. Who merely turned around to- oh.

Lilith had to clasp her hand in front of her mouth to stop the giggles threatening to spill from her lips, looking at the scene before her.

“Oh, so that’s where Shadow went.” Gwendolyn called out from Lilith’s side, not even trying to hide the shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

The massive feline had decided to revert to her kitten-sized state for now, and was currently latched, with both teeth and claws, onto King’s tail.  
  
“Please, minions, HELP ME?!” King yelped, trying to wag his tail hard enough to shake her off, and screaming once more as it only caused Shadow to hold on tighter.

“Should we do something?” The raven haired woman asked. The redhead was tempted to say “no”, but looking at the tiny form of King running around the clearing with the cat gnawing at his tail caused her to reconsider.

“Probably.”

“Shadow, get over here!” Gwendolyn called out, and instantly the tiny feline unlatched itself from King’s rear, scampering up the assassin and perching upon her shoulder.

“And stay away, for I am the king of demons!” King screeched, stomping over, Shadow merely hissed at him, causing him to hide behind Lilith’s legs.

“Nyeh.”  
  
That situation sorted, the two witches turned back to the situation unfolding in front of them. Mainly, Eda, in an ever more intense shouting match with the owl house.

“HOOTY I SWEAR TO TITAN IF YOU DO NOT MOVE RIGHT NOW-”  
  
“I can’t move, I’m a house, silly, hoot.”  
  
“YOU HAVE LEGS, HOOTY!”  
  
“I have legs?”  
  
“YES YOU DO, AARGH!”  
  
“Oh yeah, I have legs.”

“Wait, what?” the redhead said.  
  
Lilith was a woman of great talent, many accolades, and a reputation of being unflappable, but her stomach felt like it had been flipped upside down when she saw the owl house rumble, then shift, and then rise up.

On two bird legs.

“Oh, oh that is… Wrong.” Gwendolyn muttered from beside her. and Lilith couldn’t help but agree whole-heartedly.

“C’mon lovebirds, we’ve got a move to handle, lets go!” Eda called out, hopping onto her broom and beginning to guide Hooty to his new (definitely not permanent, if Lilith had anything to say about it.) home.

“Well then… Let's go.” Gwendolyn muttered.

“Yeah… let’s.”

\--

When Luz had been dropped off at the Owl house’s new location, it had been the dead of night, and she had been too tired to even dream, falling asleep before she’d even hit the bed.

She didn’t wake up until the sun was already past its apex, on a slow descent towards the horizon again. Eda had shooed her out of the house, encouraging to at least “make something out of today” and explore for a bit.

And _wow_ , did it ever impress.

Even from here, what must be a good few hundred meters away from the main house, she was still able to see the gargantuan structure clearly, and it impressed her to no end.

Clawthorne manor was absolutely massive, a monolithic gothic style building built out of dark brick and intricate glasswork, and she was _definitely_ going to end up exploring it whenever she got the chance.

Right now, however? She was having a load of fun just exploring the woods behind it. The ground behind the manor were absolutely massive, and the house had probably the best location of all.

A beautiful pond, beset on both sides with massive granite rocks, its banks overgrown with cattails and various other plant life, a small wooden bridge spanning across the middle.

Luz had immediately perched herself on a rock, grabbed her sketch bloc and a pencil, and began sketching the serene scene in front of her.

“Luz!” A voice suddenly rang out, and Luz was introduced to another benefit of the new location.

Apparently it was quite close to Blight manor itself.

“Amity!” The girl shot up, bolting towards the young witch, almost knocking her over as she swept the other girl up in a hug.

“L- Luz, _Luz!_ You’re hugging a bit tight.” Amity croaked out, prompting the human to let her go, taking a few steps back as the witch went crimson.

“Sorry, I- I was just so worried, are you okay?”  
  
Amity nodded. “Yeah, just some magic fatigue, no casting for me for a few days. How are you?”  
  
Luz’ smile froze on her face at the question, prompting the witch to worry a bit.

  
“Luz, can you hear me… Luz?” She said, before spotting something on the rock, the Blight darted over to the rock, grabbing the drawing and holding it up to Luz' face.

“Luz, this is _amazing_ , did you do this?”  
  
Luz was violently pulled back from her rapidly descending train of thought, only to be met with the sight of Amity holding up her drawing and wait a minute Amity was kinda clo-  
  
Luz swore she could feel steam pour out of her ears as she scrambled backwards, tripping over a boulder in the process.

“aueaaehaa yeah that’s mine, why do you ask?” She said, poking her head back up over the boulder, all the while trying to wish the blush on her face away. Maybe if she tried hard enough?

Amity snickered, and the sound was nothing short of divine. 

“Luz, you really gotta start watching where you step, you might hurt yourself.”  
  
“Pfft, nah. Me? I meant to do this, totally normal human thing, rock diving that is.” Luz groaned at how she was sounding, and Amity snickered again, rolling her eyes.

“If you say so…”  
  
Amity took a seat on the rock adjacent to the one Luz had tripped over, handing the sketch bloc back to the human.

“Show me how you draw this well, please?”

Luz felt her throat go dry, but nodded, scrambling atop the boulder and planting herself down as close to the Blight as she could… Without falling off.. Or it looking weird.  
  
She grabbed a pencil, and began to explain the process of drawing to the other girl.  
  
“You see, you apply more pressure here- to get thicker lines, and some shading there-”  
  
The day seemed to flash by them, as Luz drew and Amity watched with bated breath. Unbeknownst to the Blight, Luz was drawing slowly, exceedingly so.

Not because of any laziness or something, but because of the- quite embarrassing fact that Luz Noceda found herself constantly sneaking glances at Amity, taking in the fullness of her cheeks, the pointy ears and they way they twitched seemingly without preamble, the soft shine of the evening sun reflecting off of the pond and into her eyes. Just… Everything.  
  
Luz kinda wanted to scrap the drawing of the pond, and start sketching her instead. Between the two of them, the girl next to her was a sight she infinitely preferred.

Neither witch, however- had the faintest clue, that they were being watched. Two beady eyes peering out from the water’s surface were observing the two oblivious girls, stalking them. And they were getting closer.

Closer and closer it came, first a head, stubby and deep-jawed, filled with dozens of razor sharp teeth, then a massive, thick neck, two adjacent rows of spikes jutting out from it, two five clawed, webbed feet followed, then, and a serpentine body thereafter, followed by an even smaller set of back legs, and a fluked tail.  
  
It was by no means a particularly stealthy approach, but the two girls were so enamoured by each other, that the first indication they had of this new arrival was some moisture dripping off of its maw, and onto the paper.

  
In unison, two pairs of eyes shot up, and two gasps of horror echoed out as the creature looked at them, pure black eyes looking soullessly at them.  
  
The creature’s mouth opened, and a rumbling hiss that shook their bones echoed forth, before the creature lunged.

Both girls instantly darted off of the rock, causing the creature to miss, slamming head first into the rock they were sitting on, the impact dazed it, just enough for Luz to scream.

“EDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”  
  
A mere heartbeat later, one of the Owl house’s windows disintegrated as the owl lady shot forth.  
  
A moment later, she was planted firmly between the creature and the two girls, eyes aglow with magical thunder.  
  
The moment it saw her, however. Its demeanor shifted. Gone was the predatory stiffness and the prowling gait, and replacing it was what amounted to, well there weren’t really words.

It darted for them, and Eda readied Owlbert for a massive magical blow, but it slid to a halt a few feet from them, lowering its head slightly so it was at eye level with Eda.  
  
Eda, for her part, looked undaunted by the gargantuan serpent, until- of course, a spark of recognition flashed across her face.

The staff lowered, and a hand came up  
  


“No way.” The owl lady muttered, as the gigantic reptilian head slowly moved towards her open palm.

“Eda, what are you doing?!” Luz hissed, looking horrified at the scene before her.

“Trust me on this one, kid.” She muttered. “At least, if this is who I think it is?”  
  
“You mean an adult Lindwurm that almost _ate_ us?!, Because that’s what it is!” Amity whisper-shouted.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the massive head came closer and closer, until it nuzzled into the Clawthorne’s hand, causing the two girls to gasp in awe.

The Owl lady would deny it to her dying day, but there were tears pricking at her eyes.

“You’re still here, after all this time?” Bringing up another hand, she scratched the gigantic creature behind the head, eliciting another bone-rattling rumble, though this one sounded pleased.  
  
“Uh, Eda, is this an… acquaintance of yours?” Luz asked, awestruck at the scene before her.

“Yeah.” Eda muttered, turning to the two girls, a hand still on the massive serpent’s head.

“Luz, Amity, meet Noodle.”  
  
“NOODLE!?” The two girls exclaimed in unison.

A pleased hiss was their only reply.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An the name is... Noodle, named by... A load of people. Sorry, it was just by far the most common name out there, and frankly an adorable one. As for the people who suggested its species, it was already set in stone so sorry
> 
> as for the design... Here it is
> 
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/512498364382707714/789901226724163614/image0.jpg
> 
> Apologies, but the link doesnt seem to want to embed, just copy/paste it onto your search bar and it should work
> 
> Noodle the Lindwurm, made by a close friend of mine and great artist, [Armin Reindl](https://www.deviantart.com/arminreindl) Give him a follow, he deserves it!


	23. chiaroscuro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, whaddup, another early chapter! Consider this my early new years gift to you all, and a farewell to the shitshow that has been 2020
> 
> As per usual, [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) is fucking awesome, her edits have been a massive help.
> 
> So here it is, the "angst oreo" as I've dubbed it, for its contents
> 
> Fluff  
> Angst  
> Fluff
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy

The phrase “This might as well happen.” is one Amity has come to associate quite readily with Luz Noceda.

That’s not to say that she _dislikes_ the unending parade of chaotic and dangerous events that seem to follow wherever the sunshine smile and hazel eyes go. It’s just… Well, the concept of chance, luck and sheer weirdness seems to go askew every time she’s around.

The thing is, she’s known Luz for about two months now. She should be used to this by now, she reckons. Should have probably just prepared for something like this out of habit, but alas, here she was.

“Oh titan, how I’ve missed you, you little scamp. Well ‘little’ isn’t all that accurate anymore, is it?”

Amity can do nothing but stare gobsmacked at the scene before her, at the owl lady acting like she’s just seen a particularly cute baby, all the while petting and nuzzling, _nuzzling_ a titan damned Lindwurm!  
  
Amity lets out a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding when she glances to her side. Luz is utterly awestruck with the massive reptile, to be expected, given what Luz has told her about bringing snakes into class before. 

She tries to focus her mind on something besides the beautiful shade of brown of her eyes, or the way her smile makes her feel light and fuzzy.

When she tears her head away again, her breath freezes in her throat. Apparently, Luz was not the only one interested in their opposing party. The Lindwurm, Noodle, seems to have some interest in the two of them too, slithering past Eda and coming to a halt in front of the two girls.

Its massive serpentine neck coils and twists. As its head comes to rest at Luz’ eye height, the beast exhales, letting out what Amity hopes to be an inquisitive hiss, and Luz coughs, taking a step back.

“Oh, that smells like feet and sadness.” She groans, having gotten a face full of morning breath.

“Noodle, stop that. Don’t make me take out the toothbrush again.” Eda chides, and the massive beast actually winces at the threat. Definitely some history there, Amity assumes.

_Noodle._ The name is oddly fitting, yet at the same time absolutely not. Maybe Eda had named it whilst it was smaller, because the fifty foot long behemoth standing in front of them definitely does not strike her as a “Noodle”

That train of thought is quickly discarded in favour of _oh god, stand still, don’t move, don’t breathe._ When it swings its head around in her direction.

Titan, it’s beautiful, she realizes. Scales of verdant green and fiery red interplay across the creature’s hide in intricate patterns. She nearly wants to touch its snout, a hand reaching out halfway to the beast, but she stops once she looks into its eyes.

Massive, nearly fully black with speckles of pure gold throughout. They shine with a cold intelligence that has her hair stand on end, and reminds her of just how small she is.

Hell, its head is bigger than her torso. If it were to choose so, a mouthful would be all she was. Thankfully, the staring session is cut short when Owlbert raps down twice on the creature’s head.

Amity nearly wants to shout at Eda to “Not antagonize the giant murder drake.” But the stare Eda fixes her with is one asking for trust.

The owl lady’s gaze hardens as it regards the now thoroughly offended reptile, however.

“Don’t give me that. Listen to me, you overgrown salamander, they aren’t food, they’re not to be scared or played with, they’re family. Understood?”

There’s a shimmer of understanding in those doll-like eyes, and it chortles out what sounds to Amity’s eyes not unfamiliar to a laugh, before it darts towards them.

“Wait what- whaaa.” Amity shrieks, as the massive body coils itself around her, she suddenly finds another form pressed up against her- Luz, she realizes, and she feels her cheeks heat up as she’s made aware of their current position, trapped within the massive coiling body of the Lindwurm as it… Purrs?

“Eda what is it doing?” Luz calls out from next to her, seeming equally uncomfortable with their position- is she blushing? Eda just laughs at them. Absolutely _useless_.

“That’s just how she hugs, probably gonna be a while before she lets go, have fun you two! I’m gonna get Lily!”  
  
“Wait, Eda! Don’t leave us like this! EDAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Luz shouts as the owl lady runs away, cackling. Unfortunately for the both of them, Luz’ struggling seems to have given their now _very_ affectionate captor the wrong idea, as it coils around them a bit tighter.

Realizing that getting out of here is a lost cause, Luz instead settles for glaring at the witch’s retreating back. 

Amity just sinks further down into the coils, wishing it had eaten her instead.

\--  
  
Lilith had frankly never expected to once again set foot in her ancestral home once she’d pledged the property and all its holdings to Belos during her ascension to Coven leader. Never again would she walk the massive hallways, or sit in her little corner of the ballroom with the beautiful view of the woods and a book in her hand.

Never again would she run through those woods with Eda, just the two of them. That’s what she had thought.

  
Just went to show that things can change, no matter how little you expect them to. Sure, there was definitely a _lot_ of cleaning to do, and she was going to have to track down a reliable cleaning staff in the near future. But it felt.. right.  
  
The thought of being a mere five minute’s walk away from Eda was comforting, too, but right now, there was something else on her mind.

Mainly the fact that her guest was nowhere to be found. When she’d gone to deliver some breakfast to her (should technically still be on bedrest) guest, she’d simply found Shadow snoring away on the queen sized bed, and Gwendolyn nowhere to be found.

Heart racing and thoughts scrambling to think of where the stubborn assassin might have gone sent Lilith on a frantic search throughout the castle.

She was about to give up, head over to the owl house and drag Eda in to help her, when a few sounds caught her attention.

  
Mainly, grunts of exertion- coming from what appeared to be the old ballroom.

Lilith rounded the corner, and _barely_ resisted the urge to slam her head full-force into the intricately patterned oaken doors upon the sight that met her.

Gwendolyn, clad in nothing but a white shirt and shorts, hobbling around on one leg and practicing with what looked like the Clawthorne’s ancestral blade. 

There were some scratches on the walls, and, from the fact that one of the chairs was reduced to kindling, Lilith reckoned she’d been here for a while.

“Gwendolyn.” She called out, causing the raven haired woman to startle mid-swing, falling on her butt as she shot an offended glare at the redheaded witch.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“Uh, this is my house, what are _you_ doing out of bed?! The doctor cleared you in a week’s time _provided_ you kept to bedrest.” Lilith chided  
  
Gwendolyn pouted, she honest to titan _pouted._ “I got bored.”  
  
And that Led Lilith to one painful realisation.

Kids had never really been in Lilith’s plan for life. The “special feeling” or joy and happiness that some of her fellow coven members had talked about after having children never really had any appeal to her.  
  


It didn’t help in the slightest that little children had a tendency to vomit over her. So no, children were definitely not in the books for her.

Not that it mattered, since she was apparently still in charge of a literal _child._

“Gwendolyn, please. You’re supposed to be keeping weight off of that leg, the doctors told you as much.”  
  
“You’re worrying too much, I’ve trained with worse injuries.”  
  
“Was that supposed to put me at ease? Because it literally did the opposite. And will you _please_ stop swinging around my grandfather’s antique claymore?!”  
  
Thankfully, she listened somewhat, stopping a few inches short of starting another swing, though the way she planted the tip in the wood did make Lilith cringe. That wasn’t good for the blade… Or the floor.

At the very least she had the decency to look a little ashamed. That was better than nothing, she supposed.

“Uh, apologies for the chair? This thing’s a lot heavier than it appears, balance is all over the place, too.” Gwen tapped the massive sword on the pommel, cringing somewhat as the slight pressure drove it deeper into the wood.

Lilith just rolled her eyes. “That’s because it’s a _ceremonial_ blade, somewhat of a family heirloom, if you will. Only person that used it was grandfather, and I’m pretty sure it was with him when he died.”  
  


( _He hadn’t gotten himself killed on the battlefield, the old oaf had gotten pneumonia after trying to swim in the pond in midwinter, but Gwen didn’t know that._ ) 

Lilith had to bite her tongue as Gwen blanched. The witch looked absolutely _mortified_ at the prospect of possibly breaking a “prized relic” She pulled the blade from the floor, wobbling slightly as she accidentally put pressure on her bum leg.

“I’ll, uhh, just put this back now, alright?” She muttered, hobbling over to the display rack where she’d gotten it from in the first place, slotting the blade into the brackets she’d taken it from before turning to the redhead again.

“Sorry about that.”  
  
“It’s fine, though next time I’d prefer it if you mention running off to play with sharp objects. I thought Shadow had eaten you.”  
  
The assassin chuckled at that, twirling a lock or raven hair in her fingers as she leaned against the doorframe next to Lilith. “As much as that thing loves chewing on my fingers, I think I’m too scrawny for her.”  
  
Lilith’s eyes pulled down to Gwen’s exposed biceps for a bit, before shooting the taller woman a look.  
  
“Scrawny? I’d hate to imagine what that makes me.”  
  
The look Gwendolyn gave her at that set her cheeks ablaze, taking a hasty step back as the assassin leaned in.

“How about we save that for the next date?”  
  
If Eda could see her now, she’d probably have to arrange for a plot next to her parents. She could already see the tombstone. “Here lies Edalyn Clawthorne, died from laughter at seeing her sister be a fucking failure at flirting.”

Then, as if the titan itself had just decided that no, she wasn’t allowed to have anything nice in life, came the sound of crashing doors drawing closer, a sound that Lilith just _knew_ Eda was responsible for.  
  
Call it panic, call it her sense of self preservation rearing its ugly head, but Lilith moved without thinking, pushing Gwendolyn away in a blur, before grabbing both halves of massive wooden door and slamming them shut mere moments before her sister came barreling down the hallway towards her.

The owl lady skidded to a halt and Lilith groaned as she saw the carpet tear slightly beneath her sister’s heels. Thankfully, her sister is oblivious to the blush on her cheeks, instead rambling away excitedly.

“Lily you won’t believe what I just found! I thought we’d never see him again but she’s still living in our pond.”  
  
“What?” Lilith asked, confused. Her voice holding a sharp edge that she hadn’t quite meant to take on.

Thankfully, Eda didn’t notice, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her violently back and forth.

“Noodle! Y’know, that egg I ended up sneaking out from the northern swamps, the one we cared for and the thing that got us grounded for a month when she hatched and burned father’s slippers?” Eda rambled off, a childlike glee in her voice unlike what Lilith had heard in years.

Lilith only caught about half the words, busy trying to not let vertigo twist her stomach any further. After half a dozen more violent shakes she grabbed the hands clasped around her shoulders, unlatching them forcefully and leaning against the door to steady her shaking knees.

“Never. Do. That. Again.” She hissed, once she was certain opening her mouth wouldn’t lead to staining the carpet.

“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you can’t really deal with being tossed around.”  
  
“Eda, bullshit. I’ve told you this a hundred times before, you just think it’s funny.” Lilith groaned, doubling over as her stomach made another few loop de loops.

“Eh, you’re right.” Eda chuckled at the venomous glare Lilith shot her then. “Incredible isn’t it, right?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Did you not catch a word I said?” The younger Clawthorne asked, arms crossed, as if she had _any_ right to be offended after nearly causing Lilith to lose her breakfast.

“No, I didn’t catch that over me trying to keep myself from throwing up all over your shoes.” Lilith hissed.

“Sheesh, someone’s grumpy. Anyways, Noodle’s alive!”  
  
“Eda that’s-” Lilith went silent as the full extent of the words caught up to her. “No way…”

Eda’s grin widened. “Yup, turns out she’s been living in the pond! Had quite the growth spurt too, has to be around fifty feet long now. Beautiful patterns too.”  
  
“I’ve not seen her since, since when?”  
  
“Since the day dad told us to get rid of her. I think that was a year before the whole curse debacle.” Lilith winced at the mention, if Eda noticed that, she didn’t bring it up.

“Yeah, I think that’s about right… Does she look healthy?”  
  
“Would seem so, seems like she’s taken quite the shine to the girls. Seems she’s still as clingy as she always was.”  
  
“Ah yeah, Amity came by earlier, said she wanted to see how Luz was doing.” Lilith said, the two sisters shared a look at that.

“Do you reckon Luz is gonna figure it out anytime soon?” Eda asked.

“I think if she did, she’d officially be the last person on the isles to know.” Lilith shot back.

The two shared a chuckle at the sheer obliviousness of Eda’s protege.

“Yeah, I think that’s about right, though… Speaking of crushes. How’s it going with Mrs. Assassin?”

Lilith nearly choked on her own tongue at that, glancing back at the door she was currently leaning against.

“It’s going… fine, why do you ask?”

“Nothing, nothing- just curious, y’know?” Eda’s expression formed a dangerous edge, one that Lilith found slightly disconcerting.

“What’s wrong Eda?”  
  
“Nothing, Like I said, merely curious.” Eda said, in a tone that made it clear she wasn’t even _trying_ to hide the fact she was lying.

Lilith was… Extremely confused at the behaviour Eda was exhibiting. There was definitely something she was missing here.

“Eda, please tell me what’s wrong.” She tried a second time, meeting her sister’s guarded gaze with a pleading one of her own. They locked eyes for a few moments, and Lilith was growing slightly concerned when her younger sister didn’t immediately give in. But, after a few moments, she sighed.

“Look, I just want to know what her deal is, y’know? Can’t blame me for being a bit weary after learning she’s Belos’ personal murder assistant.”

Lilith blinked.

_Was this… Was this a dream?_ Was the unflappable, uncaring of consequence Edalyn Clawthorne… Showing that she _cared?_ Lilith was oddly touched by the gesture.

“Are you… Worried for me?”

“Wha, pfft, nah- okay, maybe a little bit, but can you blame me?”

“I suppose you do have a point, but trust me on this Eda, I- I really do lo- like her.”  
  
Eda’s expression softened at that. “Alright, I’ll back off. Just- make sure you know what you’re getting into.”

“Considering your dating history, I’m unsure you have any room to talk.”  
  
“Hey, there’s a difference between dating a few… Shady people, and someone who _stabs_ people for a living!”  
  
“Eda, I think you-” Lilith tried, before a voice from the other end of the door cut her off, causing both Clawthornes to freeze.  
  
“HEY, I RESENT THAT, I’M A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS OWNER!” Gwendolyn called out, and Eda’s expression turned into a full blown smirk.

  
“Eda it’s-” Lilith tried to placate her sister, but was promptly shoved aside as Eda slammed open the doors into the ballroom, revealing a very much unimpressed Gwendolyn looking at her with her arms crossed.

“How long have you been standing there?” 

Gwendolyn, the traitor, inclined her head towards Lilith with a smirk. “She shoved me in here when she heard you approach.”

Eda looked to Lilith, then to Gwen, then Lilith again, repeating this for what felt like a full minute, before the single most disappointed expression she’d ever seen morphed onto her face.

“ _Lilith_ . Think of the _children_ .”

  
  
The redhead balked at that as Edalyn doubled over in laughter, Gwendolyn, the traitor, actually laughing along, though her cheeks are flushed too.

  
  
 _Was homicide an option_ ? _Wait, that wasn’t the word for slaughtering your sister. What was it again… Oh yeah, Sororicide._

“You’re giving them the talk!” The owl lady howled out, breaking whatever was left of Gwendolyn’s limited composure, sending her into a fit of giggles that had her clutching the door frame for support.

“I- You- Eda- I…” Lilith tried, but the words wouldn’t form. So, instead, she just simply stood there, fists clenched at her side as she glared at the floor, face flush with embarrassment as she fought back the urge to lunge at her sister.

Suddenly, an arm laid itself on her shoulder, turning to her right. Aquamarine met sky blue as she looked into Gwendolyn’s face, the most unreadable expression on her face.

“Sooo, you like me?” 

Oh yeah, she’d said that whilst Gwendolyn was two feet away.

Oh _no_ . She’d said that whilst _Gwendolyn was two feet away!!!_

Before she could splutter out some sort of excuse or try to worm her way out of it, Gwendolyn leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

“Feeling’s mutual.” 

Something warm blossomed in Lilith’s chest as she brought a hand up to her lips, staring deeply into those blue eyes. The faintest blush was apparent on Gwen’s cheeks as an awkward smile graced her lips.

“Don’t forget to wear a _condom!”_

 _  
__  
_Gwendolyn took a step back as she lunged at Eda, a scream that promised death and misery tearing from her throat.

\--

_Your fault._

Every tree looked the same. Every puddle was deeper than it appeared. The muck knocked him off balance with every step. 

His magic wasn’t functioning, no matter what he did.

_Your fault._

His arm brushed along a bush. They coiled around his arm like striking vipers, thorns digging into the flesh of his arm.

The pain was agonizing. The thorns wiggling around his arm like razor bladed maggots tore a wordless gasp from his mouth.

_Your fault._

His heels dragged into the dirt, fighting against the pulling vines. His shoulders heaved, his mind swam upon a cloud of adrenaline and agony, but he didn’t care.

HIs foot lifted up, his center of balance shifting, and just that much was enough to send him to his knees.

_Tick tock._

He wanted to weep, wanted to curl up and let whatever fate awaited him wash over him. But he knew what would happen if it did.

So he took a deep breath, and he rose to his feet once more. Once more, his foot rose, once more, the pain flared like a lit candle, but this time he didn’t allow himself to think on the pain.

A second step followed soon thereafter, and this time he could only cut the strangled roar of pure agony in half as it ripped from his throat, echoing mockingly amidst the silence of the redwoods around him.

_You’re no father._

Muscles tore, ligaments snapped, grooves were carved in still living bone as the thorns nailed themselves deeper and deeper, but still he pressed on.

He pushed, and pushed, and _pushed_ further, untill, with the only sign being the groan of wood straining, it released him.

He wasted no time. Not even a moment could he spare to assess the state of his ruined limb.

_Your fault._

The woods were getting sparser, trees dotting themselves into the landscape at further intervals, he was nearly there.

The smell of copper battered into his sinuses with the subtlety of a jackhammer, the tangy ichor like an omen that had the hairs on his neck raised.

Faster, faster. He pushed himself.

_Tick tock, tick tock._

There, the clearing. He could already see it, merely twenty- ten- he’d made it. His feet kicked up loose gravel and dust as he skidded to a halt, looking to-

**_Time’s up._ **

Red.  
  
So much red- _too much red._

Red on the trees.

Red on the grass.  
  
Red on _her shirt_.

His throat clenched, every breath a struggle as he walked the twenty feet separating the two of them on shaking legs.

There was nothing, no movement, not a twitch of fingers or the rising of a small chest. Just _red._

He kneeled to her side, taking a tiny hand in his owh, it was cold, no pulse, nothing.

Her eyes. They were… Empty, there was no joy, no inquisitiveness, no rambling or emotion of any kind to be found. It was like looking into a doll’s eyes.

Cold, lifeless.

**_Dead._ **

Slowly, gently, he scooped her up, her head lolled backwards and that small motion was enough to break him.

He crushed her- what was left of her- into an embrace, screaming his anguish out into the heavens as he rocked her broken body back and forth.

Tears flowed freely. He cared not. Even the rumble of thunderstorms approaching sounded muffled compared to the blood rushing in his ears.

Breathing was becoming heavier. His vision was fogging. He almost didn’t catch the limp neck and the head atop it regaining motion.

_Almost._

His head turned, slowly, and blue eyes met dull brown.

Her lips opened, and from them spilled forth two words, though for their effect they might as well have been daggers, jamming themselves into his heart.

_Your fault._

His eyes opened with a start, panic setting in as the room around him felt like a constricting cage.

His hand shot out, instinctively reacting to a flash of colour he couldn’t place, and a bookcase atomized itself into nothingness.

His breathing erratic, his eyes darted all around the room, looking for something familiar. He realized quickly thereafter that he was simply in his study.

_Must have fallen asleep._ He thought.

He sank back into his chair, focused on trying to stop the shortage of breath he was feeling. He hazarded a glance out the window. The sun was trekking towards the horizon, but night was still hours away.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again with a start as a sight from the darkest recesses of his nightmares jumped out at him.

_So much blood._

That was all he could imagine, the scene he’d stumbled upon within his nightmare. His worst fears dragged out in front of him, and he couldn’t do _anything_ about it.

An evil voice hissed at him, made clear the fact that a second slower reaction, or any of a thousand other factors, could have led to him stumbling onto _that_ scene.

The thought alone was enough to send him outside of the room, rushing up to the roof before stopping himself.

What was he going to do? Sweep her up into his arms? Lock her up in the tower?  
  
He hated himself for even momentarily considering it.

He had been scared before, more times than he can remember. He’s seen, committed atrocities beyond count, all in order to stop an eldritch horror from ripping the cosmos asunder for the sake of its twisted appetite for destruction.

Even _that_ felt insignificant in front of the fear that scene from moments prior had instilled into him.

The thought of failing her like that…

He calmed himself once more, contenting himself in the knowledge of her current security.

In a few days time, he’d be seeing her again. After all, he’d asked to make it a day, just the two of them. That thought calmed his nerves.

Not enough, however.  
  
He strode into his bedroom, freshly refurbished, and he pulled up a chair.  
  
He needed a drink.

He summoned a portal, pulling forth a strong spirit and a tumbler glass. Gwendolyn had given it to him once as a prank.

He poured himself four fingers, and tossed the vile liquid down in one go.

His throat burned, and his nose felt like it had turned into a tundra, but there was a pleasant warmth that tickled his fingertips as the alcohol settled into his stomach.

Maybe it could burn that sight out of his mind?

He poured himself another.

\--

“Well, it’s nice that it let us go, right?”  
  
“It took _half an hour,_ Luz.”  
  
“But still?”  
  
Amity just groaned, causing Luz to giggle. Eda had been right, Noodle was _quite_ the hugger. It had taken much coaxing, and Luz was convinced that her promise of some of Eda’s leftovers had been the thing to convince the massive beast to let them both go.

Amity was less convinced regarding that particular train of thought. But what did she know?

Currently, the two of them were sitting side by side on the grass, looking at the sunset in relative silence. Noodle had fallen asleep, and was currently acting as a softly rumbling chair to the both of them.

Specks of brilliant blue flame twirled from the Lindwurm’s nostrils at every exhale, dancing like little fireflies in the orange glow of the setting sun.

Luz’ hands were covered in graphite, her cheeks much the same, her original drawing of the pond having been put on hold for another day. Right now, she was sketching her reptilian headrest to the best of her ability, Amity offering critique wherever she saw fit. 

“There, the ear is _behind_ the skull, not over there.” She pointed out, Luz nodded, erasing the original and re-drawing it where Amity had pointed, she turned to the girl with the new version, and received a slight smile and a nod in confirmation.

It was definitely nice, sitting here, just the two of them. She would have counted Noodle, but you snooze, you lose.

They sat there for a few more minutes, just… Enjoying another’s company, before Amity shifted, turning to the brunette with a concerned look on her face.

“Luz, I wanna say I’m sorry, for earlier.”  
  
“Wha? What do you mean?”  
  
“When I asked if you were okay, it looked like you were… remembering something, something bad. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”  
  
A vision of ice and blood darts across her vision when she closes her eyes, and the flinch she lets out at the memory is enough to drive Amity’s expression from sorrow into heartbreak, but Luz sighs.

“You didn’t know. It’s not your fault, you shouldn’t apologize to _me_ of all people, I’m the reason we got into that mess in the first place.”  
  
Amity’s expression shifted once more, this time into anger. “What?! You can’t seriously believe that.”  
  
“Amity, they were there for _me_ , and you and Gwen got hurt because of it. Don’t tell me I’m wrong.” Luz muttered, laying her sketchbook on the ground as she stood up.

Amity bolted to her feet next to Luz, an affronted look on her face.

“Luz, I got hurt because I _chose_ to help you, not because I was around you. Gwen is the same way, and you know it, it’s not your fault.”  
  
“Isn’t it?” came the quiet reply.

  
  


A tear fell onto the grass, followed by a second- and then a third, Amity looked on in shock as Luz’ expression crumbled.

“Isn’t it?” She repeated.

Amity rushed forward, crashing into the other girl and wrapping her up in a crushing embrace.

“No, it’s not.” She replied.

Slowly Luz’ hands raised up, wrapping themselves around Amity as she reciprocated the hug.

“O-okay.” Luz said, voice thick with emotion.

“If you ever need to talk, I’m here.” Amity said, squeezing Luz’ shoulders. The brunette replied in kind, both standing there for a moment. 

“I’ll… Try to keep that in mind.” Luz said as the two broke apart. Amity smiled. That was something, at the very least.

“Well, that’s all I ask.”

The two disentangled slowly, though neither noticed the fact their hands were still intertwined.

A small blush made its way onto Luz’ cheeks as she looked at Amity then, with the orange glow of the setting sun shimmering through her hair, framing her in a halo of pure light.

Angelic felt like the obvious choice of descriptor, but was there a better one? Luz didn’t think so.

Amity’s eyes darted downwards, landing on their intertwined fingers and the warmth of the embrace. Her own face reddened as she tore her gaze upwards to look into Luz’ adoring eyes.

Neither girl moved for what felt like minutes, before a rumble rang out.  
  
Just then, a massive head entered both of their peripheries at once, the girls bolting apart as the colossal lindwurm tilted its head in confusion, looking between the two with much the same expression a puppy would- albeit a colossal, extremely deadly one.

“Bad Noodle, no sneaking up on people!” Luz chided, taking a step forth. When the massive reptile’s head actually drooped, both girls shared a laugh, marvelling how something so ferocious could manage such an adorable look.  
  


“Oh my god, Eda, you were right.” A familiar voice called out, prompting three sets of eyes to turn to the source of the voice.

From the bushes emerged Lilith, Gwendolyn at her side, foot in the air and arm draped across the redhead’s shoulder, Eda walking slightly behind them.

“I told ya, sis. She’s grown quite a bit, hasn’t she?”

“She’s absolutely gorgeous.” Lilith muttered.

“Go on, pet your murder lizard pet.” Gwen said. 

“But what about you?” Lilith muttered.

Gwen rolled her eyes. “I’m sure the girls wouldn’t mind helping me out for a bit, right?”

Both girls nodded, moving to support the assassin as Lilith carefully slipped the raven haired woman’s arm back over her shoulder. The assassin rested a hand on either girl's shoulder for support, balancing herself as best she could so she didn’t put too much weight on either teen.

“So, how are you both holding up?”

The two shared a look, before turning to Gwen. “We’re… fine.” They said, and Gwen nodded, before they turned to look at Lilith again.

The witch was taking slow, deliberate steps towards the Lindwurm, hand outstretched in a similar fashion to what Eda had done earlier, tone soft and wondrous as she approached the curious reptile.

“I can scarcely believe it! Look at how big you’ve grown! I knew all those sandwiches were a good idea.” She muttered.

“What she means is that we used to give Noodle our sandwiches. You'd think after the tenth time you tell someone that you don't like tuna salad on rye, that they’d get the message… At least someone enjoyed them in the end.”

Lilith was close now, close enough that the reptile deemed her interesting enough for a closer look. Its head came down, locking eyes with the redheaded witch for a moment, before that very same spark of recognition warmed the cold eyes through.

A happy chirp made its way out from between a slobbering maw and rows of razor sharp teeth as it nuzzled its head into the outstretched hand. Lilith’s laughter bubbled over at the response, and her arms stretched to wrap themselves around the massive head in a hug.

The Lindwurm raised its head at that, carrying the ex- coven leader into the air with a quick “oof” before her grip failed her and she was sent crashing onto her butt.

“Rude.” She muttered to the way too smug drake, before it lowered its head again, laying it down in Lilith’s lap as it chirped happily once again.

  
Lilith took the hint, stroking the massive scaled muzzle affectionately.

“This is amazing.” Her expression turned to Eda again. “I’d never have imagined seeing her again.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Edalyn muttered, walking up to the animal's neck and scratching it atop the spikes jutting in rows

“How did you find out she was even here. Eda?”  
  
Eda at the very least had the common courtesy to look mildly ashamed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

“She kinda tried to eat the kids.”  
  
To say LIlith’s expression promised murder would be an understatementit, as she levelled a withering glare in Eda’s direction.

“Edaaaaaa.” She growled.

“N- now hold on here for a bit. “The owl lady tried to placate, to no avail.

“You mean to tell me, that she tried to _eat_ the kids, and your idea was to leave them alone with her?”  
  
…

  
“Yes?”  
  
Ten seconds later, The Blight heiress, the Emperor’s assassin, and the princess of the isles were witness to Lilith chasing Eda throughout the clearing, all the while yelling curses and profanities and swinging her staff like a club.

Amity was slightly mortified at the display, and even more so as she looked to the neutral expression on the other two’s faces.

“Is this…. Normal?” She asked.

“Yup.” Luz replied immediately.

“Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time today.” Gwendolyn added.

Suddenly, the earth shook, as ten tonnes of reptile decided this game of chase was something it wanted to take part in, scuttling after LIlith who seemed completely unaware of her new tailgater.

“That’s new, though.” Luz muttered.

“You never know what happens with the Clawthornes.” Gwendolyn agreed.

Amity just laughed.

Never a dull day, huh?

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done, hopefully y'all enjoyed it, and see you all in the new year!


	24. The wounds that never heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight so, heads up, this chapter contains discussions of trauma, and violence.
> 
> [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) was, as per usual a great help.

It was common knowledge, that unless you were summoned or your daily tasks permitted you access to the white fortress, that none but the council were to set foot within the white church.

The ragged figure scrambling up the slope where the monolithic structure was located seemed to not heed that rule, as he half-ran, half-crawled his way up the cobblestone path.

Two guards, clad in red, both wielding spears, hailed him as he stumbled before them.

“Who goes there.” They called out, spears levelling at the unknown figure’s chest, prompting it to skid to a halt a foot from where they were standing.

The figure ripped off his cloak, revealing a balding, mangled face, drenched in caked-on blood, littered in cuts and wounds of other kinds.

“My name is Horace, I- I have urgent news for the council…” He managed to splutter out, before hacking up a puddle of blood, dropping to his knees as the pain crumbled his legs out from underneath him.

The guards regarded him with disgust, taking a synchronized step back from the sorry sight before them. They raised their spears again.

“None may enter unless summoned, were you summoned?” One spoke.

“Y- you don’t understand, this is important. Please, I plead with you, let me pass.” He begged, trying to rise to his feet before collapsing once more into the dirt. 

The other guard took a threatening step forth, a growl in his voice. “Do not forget yourself, you-”   
  
“Well, if this isn’t interesting.” A voice rang out. Immediately, the guard fell back in line with their counterpart, saluting the robed figure that strode forth from the church.

“Holy one, what shall we do with this dreg?” The second guard spoke up, before being silenced by a wave of the figure’s hand.

The figure strode forth, wrenching the grievously wounded man’s chin up to stare into their eyes. They widened in sheer terror as the figure regarded him.

“I seem to recall us telling you, that if you failed your life was  _ forfeit. _ ”    
  
Tears began to well up in the man’s eyes. “P-please, mercy.”   
  
The robed one laughed, slamming Horace’s head back into the cobble, cooing as he coughed up more blood again. “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You should know better than to beg, shouldn’t you?”

A hand reached out, no doubt pleading, but it was crushed underfoot, the cracking of finger bones ringing out along with the choked gasp of agony. It seemed the man didn’t even have the strength left to scream.

“Such a poor student.” The figure admonished.   
  
They reached down again, stroking the bald man’s head with near parental care. He froze with the gentle touch on his scalp, clearly expecting death to follow soon.

“Alas, if what you say is true, it might be in our benefit to have you live a little longer, so make it worth our while.” All the response they got was a pained moan.

  
The robed figure stood up once more, dusting off their robes, before motioning to the guards.   
  
In unison they stepped forth, looking to the holiest member for orders.

“What would you have us do?”   
  
“I will summon my brothers and sisters. It will take a bit of time- in the meantime, make sure he is adequately cared for. Bring him to the infirmary.” WIth that, the figure strode back into the church, the doors closing behind them once more.

  
Before the doors fully shut themselves, they called out again. “And be sure to tell the healers that his mind needs to be sharp, so no anaesthetics.”

They nodded, planting their spears into the ground, before moving to pick up the figure. Draping an arm over each of their shoulders, they dragged him to the infirmary, uncaring of the wheezing breaths and the blood dribbling from his lips.

\--

It had taken four hours for the council to assemble, but once they had all assembled, Horace was sent for.

He was dragged before them not five minutes later, body near frozen from what seemed to be rictus. No doubt, he would be in agony. The spells used to stitch his body back together were exceedingly painful, a side-effect only outweighed by their effectiveness. Still, every fibre of his being was likely burning in agony.

And still, all present knew, that unless he managed to convince them of his worth, it would be nothing compared to what was to come.

“Horace, this is a surprise.” One of the five spoke. “I had thought our instructions were clear.”   
  
“There- were setbacks.”   
  
“Setbacks?” Another scoffed. “We sent forty traines assassins, armed with ancient magical relics and the blessing of our patron, against a  _ whelp _ and you mean to tell me that there were setbacks?”

The tone makes the old man wince with its timbre. They are furious with him, it seems. He rises to his feet, stumbling as he does so, every movement he makes sets his body aflame with agony.

“I, she was not alone, The Blight girl, their youngest, was with her.”   
  
A slow clap rings out. “Well well, forty assassins against  _ two _ children, truly I see what gargantuan task we sent you to accomplish.” The sarcasm drips from the figure’s tone as steadily as the wax from the many candles that light the room around them. 

“The girl, she declared house Blight an enemy of our us.”

“So, you not only managed to  _ not _ kill the child, but you also aligned one of the most influential families on the isles against us? I have just about had it with your incompetence. I say we execute him immediately.”   
  
There was a murmur of agreement, before the robed figure in the middle raised their hand.

“Your opinion is noted, sister- however I feel not all has been told.”

“T-thank you, your holiness.” Horace stuttered out, before being cut off once more.

“Do not mistake this for mercy, I am as of yet unconvinced of the benefit of allowing you to live myself, so start talking.”

Horace swallowed, before regaling them with what had occurred- about the emperor’s personal assassin, and the two Clawthorne sisters interfering with their task.

“-Still, we had them on the back foot, until the  _ usurper  _ himself arrived.” He spat out the last part with vitriol, before realizing just how quiet the room had gotten at the admission.

“Holy ones?” He asked, when they remained silent.

One of them leaned forth then, allowing Horace to look into their eyes- a deep, smoldering purple, as all their eyes were.

“Is what you say true? Did Belos himself appear?”   
  
“Y-yes, he wiped us out with but a single wave of his hand, I felt every one of their souls extinguish myself.” Horace would never forget how that felt. For all the benefits those magical necklaces had, never again would he wear one. He would not endure feeling his brothers and sisters die again.

If he survived today, that was.

“He hasn’t come out like that since… Ever.” One of the five muttered. “What changed?”

“Not what, who,” The foremost spoke. “The child. It would seem there is a chink in his armour. One we can exploit.”   
  
A murmur of agreement rang through them, and Horace let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Maybe he would live through this after all.

At once, they turned to him once more. 

“Well, what further information do you have?”   
  
His breath froze.  _ That was his ace _ . He had nothing else of note, he needed to think of- of course, how had he forgotten about that.

_ Well, likely due to the agony he had been in for the past few days, but he knew voicing that thought would allot him nothing. _

“There is more.” He admitted. “The assassin, their identity was revealed to us.”

“Oh, that is interesting.” One whispered.

“Gwendolyn, of house Haggard.” He muttered.

The sound of glass shattering at the name’s mention did little to soothe his nerves.

“HAGGARD?! THAT HOUSE WAS  _ ERASED _ FROM HISTORY FOR ITS INSULT, YOU MEANT TO TELL US ONE OF THEM YET LIVES?”   
  
“Y-yes, their daughter lives still, I saw her with my own eyes.” He stammered. “It seems she has grown fond for the oldest Clawthorne, something you could exploit, abu-”   
  
“Concern yourself not with higher thought. We are the ones that take care of that.” The figure in the middle muttered. A flush of shame crept over his cheeks.  _ He had forgotten his place. _

There was one last piece of information he needed to share with them.

“The girl.” He said, putting an end to the discussion going on above him. “She has inherited the usurper’s magic, it seems.” 

He had felt it, the telltale purity of the magic that had pierced one of his acolyte’s hearts… he fought back the urge to cry at the memory. He had raised that boy like a son, and in one fell swoop, the creature spawned from their greatest enemy had snuffed out his life.

“That is… A development, for certain.” The highest ranked member of the council of faith muttered. “Please, leave me and Horace for a moment, I wish to discuss something with him.”   
  
At once, all others left the chambers, guards closing the doors behind them. Horace kept his head down, even as he heard the footsteps approach.

  
“Rise, Horace. You need not kneel when we are alone.” The figure muttered, once stood before him. Horace tried, but his knees were on the verge of giving out just from him planting one foot underneath him.

A hand appeared in his vision then, and after a beat he took it, figuring that refusing aid given by the holy ones would be seen as an insult.

He was dragged to his feet immediately, nearly falling back over again as his head shook with vertigo from the sudden ascent.

“I have decided to let you live, for now.” The robed figure mutters, and Horace feels some of the tension drip off of him.

“However, when the final battle approaches, you will be at the forefront of our troops, you will lead by example, make sure not to disappoint us again.”   
  
Horace froze. “B- but my most holy liege, my strengths do not lie in the field of battle, they lie with assassination.”   
  
“House Haggard. I seem to recall that you were the one in charge of their extermination, and yet a daughter of theirs still lives.”   
  
Horace froze. He had hoped they had forgotten that, but that was a foolish hope, it seemed.

“Now, that girl you mentioned, that’s an assassin. In and out, simple as that. You, on the other hand?” The way the figure regarded him had his skin crawling. “What you did to that girl’s family however-, you are a brute, a dumb, stupid bully too far up his own ass to see the greater picture.”   
  
The figure's tone did not stray from its amused monotone, and if anything that incensed him more, he took a step forth, anger in his eyes.

“They were to be made an example of. I did as you instructed.”   
  
“You do realize that there are more ways to do so, right? Hang them in the town square, set their heads on pikes on a public road. What you did was simply because you found it fun to do. But I almost forget who I’m talking to here.” With lightning reflexes, a hand shot out, clasping itself around Horace’s face and dragging him closer, to where he could see the indigo burn of the other figure’s eyes from beneath the cloak.

“Do not forget yourself around me again.”   
  
He gulped. “Of course, holy one.”   
  
With that settled, they released him once more, taking a few steps back before turning their back to him, looking at the massive stained glass window at the back of the room.

“You’re a brute, a dog that we command. You fetch when we tell you to, you sit when we tell you to. Your opinion regarding the matter is insignificant. Do you understand?”   
  
Horace growled, but slowly- painfully, bent down onto one knee. “Of course, holy one. Allow me to prove myself worthy to your cause.”   
  
“Oh, now that is interesting, a dog asking to be walked.” The figure chuckled. Horace kept his head down, biting his tongue to keep himself from speaking out again.

“Very well, when the day comes, and our victory is certain, bring me the Haggard girl’s head. That ought to prove you are worth  _ something _ , or at least that you can finish an assignment.”   
  
“Of course my liege, I will not fail you again.”   
  
“ **See to it that you don’t** .” A voice rang out, and this time it was marbled through with such magical might that it sent him crashing to the floor. He found his limbs unable to move, and he only barely managed to lift his head to look at what was before him.

He could swear his heart skipped a beat, as the figure turned around, indigo eyes now a blazing- hellish red.

“ **If you do, there is not a reality where you can hide from me.** ”

Suddenly, the eyes turned back into indigo.

“Now get out of my sight.”   
  
Horace was out of the room within moments.

\--

It had been four days since what Eda had affectionately dubbed “the Noodle incident”, and Lilith found herself settling in remarkably well into her new- well, old house. 

A few maids had been contacted, and- after a  _ thorough _ screening where Gwen had insisted on being in the room- (Lilith felt no small measure of pity for those that had been subjected to the sight of the assassin glaring at them from the corner of the room whilst twirling a knife in her hands.), they had found a pair trustworthy enough to do their duty.

  
The thin layer of dust that had hung through most of the castle was gone, any damage had been mended with tremendous care and love, and the house was beginning to feel like the home she remembered from ages ago once more.

  
Lilith was currently sitting in the private library, a place she’d not been able to enter because of a well… Infestation, that had thankfully been cleared up the day prior.

Lilith was sitting in a dark leather chair, a tome in one hand and a drink in the other, when she heard the door opening.

Looking up from her book, she found, to her surprise, that it wasn’t Eda coming to admit she’d broken another vase, or even Amity asking to hang out with Luz again.

It was Gwendolyn, which was a pleasant surprise. The assassin had managed to heckle her way out of bedrest two days prior, and had taken off immediately. Lilith would be lying if she said the eagerness with which she had taken off didn’t hurt a slight bit.

Yet, here she stood. And, if LIlith stared a slight bit longer than intended, she would deny it vehemently.

Gwen was clad in dark blue jeans and a black turtleneck. A quick glance downward had her chuckling. Of course the woman had decided to wear a pair of leather boots. Anything else would have slightly worried her.

Her hair was still the same though, still that wild mane of pure darkness that Lilith had come to associate with the other woman, in stark contrast to her own fiery hair, bundled up into a high ponytail.

Suddenly, she realized what the woman was holding, a bottle of some nondescript liquor, and two glasses.

“Hey.” She said, the first words out of her mouth. “Can we talk?”   
  
Lilith swallowed a lump that had inexplicably formed in her throat. “Sure.” She said, motioning to the couch next to her chair.

“Thanks.” Gwen said quietly, sitting herself down, before placing the glasses onto the small coffee table in between them, and popping open the bottle.

Lilith watched from the corner of her eye as one tumbler was filled. Gwen shot her a look.

“You want one too?”   
  
Lilith paused for a moment, before lifting her cup of tea. “I’m good, thanks.”

Gwendolyn nodded, before throwing her own glass back in a single gulp, face pulling into a grimace slightly as it went down her gullet.

“Sorry, about leaving.” She said, after a beat. “I needed to get some things in order, and…” the raven haired woman trailed off.   
  
Lilith closed her book, tucking it into the seat next to her as she turned to the assassin.

“And?”   
  


“Well, I was thinking about what you said, earlier- not the day of the “incident”, y’know, when you fell into the pond?”

Lilith scowled slightly at the mention, and Gwen snorted, before her expression sobered.

“If this is to y’know, continue. I figure I owe you an explanation.”

Lilith looks at her, confused. “I thought we’d agreed on it being a date?”    
  
Gwendolyn chuckles, grabbing the bottle once more and pouring herself a shot. “I think we can also agree on the fact that dates are supposed to be  _ fun. _ And I have a feeling this is going to be anything but that.”

Lilith nods, cringing slightly as the woman downs another shot, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Did the girls mention why I got stabbed?” She asks, patting onto the meat of her healing thigh. Lilith dives over the armrest of her chair, snatching the assassin’s wrist before it can come down again. Gwen looks at her confused for a bit as Lilith stares at her disapprovingly.

“You shouldn’t do that, you might reopen your wound.” She says. Gwen shoots her a slight smile, before slowly pulling her wrist back out of Lilith’s grip.

“You’re probably right.” She concedes, before sighing once more. “Someone was there, in the clearing- someone I remember from the night I lost..”

“Lost… What?” 

“ _ Everything _ .” There’s a cut off hiccup from the woman and Lilith freezes, looking over. Her hands are shaking, and she can practically see the trembling of her lips as she exhales. 

“I saw him and I just… Forgot myself, I lost my cool, I rushed in without thinking, and- and I almost got those kids killed.” The self-loathing is practically dripping off of her every word, Lilith knows that tone  _ far  _ too well.

Her eyes flick downwards as she searches for the right words to say. Frustratingly, she comes up empty. Turning back to the other woman, Lilith catches something, a most minute detail, and she freezes.

Even in the low light of the library, she spots a slight wetness in the other woman’s eyes, and Lilith has had enough. Getting up, she plants herself down onto the couch next to the other woman, draping an arm over her shoulder, which the other woman leans into almost immediately.

“If you don’t want to tell me, you really don’t have to.” And she really didn’t, that wasn’t even the thing she’d been curious about. “I just asked about your job, you don’t have to say anything else.”

“No, no, that’s- that’s the thing, this- me being Belos’ assassin? That’s the same story.” 

_ Oh. _

“Well, nonetheless, If you’re uncomfortable with telling me-” Gwen raises a hand, cutting the redhead off, before fixing her the most miserable smirk she’s ever seen.

“I’ve not told anyone this story in what… Thirty-five years? ‘S why I left, spent all of yesterday- and the day before that, psyching myself up. If I don’t tell it now, I probably never will.” 

Gwen shoots her a look, and Lilith understands. Fitting, nearly two weeks prior she’d been in the exact opposite position with Eda, so she understands why the woman would want to tell her.

Still… It’s, well quite frankly it’s disconcerting, to see her so shaken up. Even after a brush with near death- and being bloody  _ stabbed _ , the woman besides her had time enough to joke around. To see her in a state like this, so weary- so, for lack of a better word,  _ fragile-  _ it sets her nerves alight. A part of her mind screams at her that she’s not the right person for this. She might have cleaned up her act a bit after Eda talked some sense into her, but she knows the nightmares she has frequently, and, well, they won’t be going away any time soon.

Probably not ever, if she’s being realistic, but that’s a thought for another time. Right now, Gwen needs her, and, ill suited for the task as she might be, she’s the person that the assassin is willing to entrust this to. So, she’s prepared to listen.

“When emperor Belos came into power, there were two options given to all people in the isles, you got in line- or you got taken care of, brutal- yes, but that’s the way of things.”   
  
Lilith nods, she knows just how brutal Belos was early on in his reign. Even now, some of those stories sicken her.

“My father… Well he got in line. It’s the reason I’m still alive, but he never agreed with Belos’ way of things. Never failed to give him a piece of his mind. From the bits Belos has told me, those were some of the roughest days in the council chambers.”

Lilith was surprised at that. Belos had never tolerated any backtalking during the councils she’d been part of. Gwen gave her a look that seemed to read the redhead’s mind, because she chuckled.

“Yeah, I wondered the same many times. Asked him once, too- his response? “For all your father insulted me, at least his motivations were deeper than the self-aggrandizing of today.” Yeah, that sounds about right for my dad.”   
  
“What… Were they like?” Lilith can’t help but ask.

“Dad was always strict. Never could skip a day of school, always had to be on time, y’know? He was never the most affectionate, but he had a good heart. That’s what ended up getting him killed…As for mom? Kindness doesn’t even begin to describe it. There’s not a day I recall that she wasn’t with a smile on her face. People have said we were like two drops of water. I disagree on that front.”   
  
Lilith says nothing, merely pulls the other woman in a bit tighter, waiting till she’s ready to talk again. She frowns when she sees her reaching for the glass again, but lets it go.

She figures she might need one of her own, before this is over. Though she vows to keep it to one. They don’t need her to relapse on top of this.

After the drink disappears down her throat, Gwendolyn gently pulls away from Lilith’s embrace, swinging her knees onto the couch as she leans into the armrest. Lilith scoots a bit farther away, pulling her legs underneath her as she turns to the other woman.

“At one point, the arguments got so bad, that Belos told him he’d have my father executed if he argued against him once more. Father told him to stick it where the sun didn’t shine and left the council chambers in a rage. Locked himself into his study for three nights, when he came out there was something different about him.”   
  
Lilith’s breath hitches as a single tear trails its way down the other woman’s cheek, leaving a dark trail of spilled makeup in its wake.

“Apparently, word got around, and a week later there were… Figures at the door, figures interested in my father’s apparent disagreements with Belos.”   
  
“Rogue witches?” Lilith asks.

Gwen shakes her head. “No, something much,  _ much _ worse. I’m sorry- I can’t tell you the full story on that one, not yet anyways.”   
  
Lilith frowns, but nods all the same.

“They were apparently interested in my father. Understandable- back in those days, house Haggard rivalled the Blights and Clawthornes in terms of influence and prestige. But most of all, they were looking for an inside man, someone they could use to spy on Belos for their own goals.”   
  
Lilith sighs, she has a feeling she knows where this is going.

“Dad refused. I was hiding behind this old piece of armour. I heard the full thing go down, he was  _ furious. _ Shadow was prowling around behind him and growling- I genuinely thought she was going to kill them then and there.”   
  
“Wait, Shadow- you mean your cat?”   
  
Gwen nods, and her fragile smile gets a bit brighter. “Yeah, she used to be my dad’s, ‘s the reason why I left her at home, she hates this story nearly as much as I do.”

“But… Most cats don't live for nearly forty years.” Lilith inquires.

Gwen shrugs. “Most cats can’t shift between the size of a bear, and a small kitten at will.”

“Fair enough, continue.”   
  
Gwendolyn nods, before chuckling slightly. “Yeah, he told them that he didn’t like Belos, but at the very least the man stuck to his roots, and that he wasn’t going to betray someone he at the very least respected. He told them that if he ever saw them on the property again, he’d have them thrown in the conformatorium.”   
  


Lilith felt fear clench itself around her throat at the hitch in Gwendolyn’s breath, her head dipped into her chest for a bit, and when she looked up again- it almost looked as if she was looking through the red headed witch, staring, without really seeing anything.

“The next night, the mansion was on fire.”

The faint trembling that’s been present throughout the last five minutes escalates into full-blown panic, shoulders heaving, tears streaming down from wide-open eyes and a near hysteric whine to her tone as the woman before Lilith just… Unravels.

She’s crossed the small distance between the two of them before she even realizes it, dragging the woman forward into an embrace as she hugs her tight.

The embrace seems to ground her somewhat, breathing evening out as she slowly latches herself around the smaller woman’s back.

“It’s okay, it’s alright, please- don’t push yourself for my sake, you can stop.”   
  
Gwendolyn snorts, but shakes her head. “Nah, came this far, gotta see it through… Just- just gimme a moment, okay?”

  
“Of course, of course.”   
  
They sit there for a bit, Lilith just… Listening to the other woman’s breathing as it slowly returns to a less frantic pace. She doesn’t really know how to comfort the panicking woman, can’t quite find the right words that will make sure she feels better.

She supposes just… Holding her like this is enough, for now. Just until she can find the words.

They sit like that for a good while, the only sounds being their faint breathing and the song of the birds outside the windows.

“I- I think I’m ready.” The black haired woman muttered after a bit, head still resting on Lilith’s shoulder.

Lilith nodded. “Alright, you want to move or?”   
  
“No, no- this is good, if you don’t mind.”

“Ok…”

As she begins recanting the tale again, Lilith squeezes her a bit tighter, trying to focus on the woman’s words and not the way she’s trembling in her arms.

“It was night, a few hours before dawn- I think? Can’t quite remember. All I remember is being woken up by screaming.” That time she nearly manages to keep her composure. It’s only on the last word when something raw slips into her voice, clipping her tone in a way that makes it clear she’s heard those exact screams plenty of times since that night.

“I curled up in bed, terrified- there were things being thrown, footsteps in the hall, and those screams, they just _ wouldn’t end _ .”

There’s the faint creaking of leather as Gwen shifts a bit, followed by a shaky inhale of breath, and Lilith braces mentally for what is to come.

“I remember, I remember the door being smashed apart, two figures rushing into my room- dragging me out of bed by my hair. I remember how they jeered as they dragged me down the stairs.”

_ Oh titan _ . Lilith thinks, and can’t help but stiffen herself slightly as the realization that the worst likely is still to come washes over her.

“They ended up dragging me into the front yard, mom and dad were already there, beaten up, wounded, but alive… The staff weren’t so lucky.”

There’s a nagging at the back of the redhead’s mind.  _ Stop this, there’s no reason for this to continue, don’t make her do this. _ Before she can give voice to her thoughts, the other woman continues, and what she says next makes her blood freeze.

“There was just… A pile of corpses. Maids, gardners, even the old butler that used to sneak me treats from the kitchen if I was grounded. All of them. Mom and dad were still alive, probably not for the best. They threw me into mom’s arms, and that’s when  _ he _ appeared.”

“He?” 

“The man, the one from the clearing. He was their leader- said his name was Horace. And began rambling off about how we had “chosen the wrong side” and how we’d “serve as a warning” to those that followed Belos.” 

_ What kind of sick creatures were these people? _ Lilith thinks.

“My father he, well he just growled at the coward, told him to face him one to one. They’d broken his hands before they’d dragged him into the yard, and he probably still would have won- had the bastard agreed.”

There’s a wetness that begins to soak through the fabric covering Lilith’s shoulder, then- and with a start she realizes they’re tears, she busies herself rubbing some small circles on the raven haired woman’s back.

“They grabbed this rope, tied it around his waist, and they had this abomination pick it up- so he was dangling off the ground. And then Horace took out a club…”

“You don’t have to-”

“He just kept beating him, mom tried to shield me, tried to make it so I didn’t see, but I saw anyway. He just kept going on, until there was nothing left.”

Lilith feels as if she’s going to be sick, and she’s not the one currently reliving this nightmare.

“After that, they just… Dropped him, they tossed him onto the pile- and they grabbed mom.”

The way her voice just shatters at the last word is the only thing that keeps Lilith from fully dissociating into the back of her mind, keeps her anchored in the here and now. It’s like being saved from a coma by being thrown into an open flame, but right now- that flame is where she’s most needed.

“Please, Gwen- just, don’t continue this if it hurts this much.” She pleads, but they fall on deaf ears, her words aren’t even acknowledged, as the horror continues.

“Dad was silent, didn’t want to give the sick bastard the satisfaction, I assume- mom wasn’t. She screamed, and pleaded, and begged. But not for herself- for  _ me…  _ He just laughed at her.”

Lilith makes a vow in that moment, that if they ever find that sick, sad excuse of a witch again, she will make sure he suffers tenfold for what he’d done to Gwendolyn.

“After a while… She was gone too- and it was my turn… I kicked, and I screamed, but there were ten of them, and I was just five.”

_ Five years old… _

“They lifted me up, and I remember looking at him, he used that club to make me look at him, still covered in-” She doesn’t manage to finish the sentence, and Lilith simply holds her tight as a choked sob escapes her lips.

“I still remember what he said to me, then. “ _ Smile for me, little wildcat.”  _ And then he drew back that club of his, and the world went dark _. _ ” 

It seems as if the birds themselves have gone silent, as if the world just ground itself to a halt. Such silence stretches out then- Lilith is barely able to hear anything above the rushing of blood in her ears and the horror seeping into her soul.

“I came to moments later, as he was gearing up for a second swing.” There’s a slight chuckle now. “Thankfully, it never came- Shadow, I don’t know where she’d been all this time, but she burst out of the house. I’ve never seen her that fast, or that furious. It was like a fox in a henhouse. She ripped them into pieces, one after the other. A fireball struck the house, and it caught on fire as she ripped half of Horace’s face off with a single swipe of her paw.”

There’s a sick feeling of satisfaction Lilith feels upon hearing that, but she refuses to feel any guilt for it, only regretting that the feline hadn’t been able to finish the job that night.

“I, just sort of collapsed onto the ground, I faintly remember the roar of the fire as it burned down my home, and the smell of copper. Shadow bit through the rope, and remember latching onto her, and weeping until I didn’t have the strength left for another tear. I remember her shifting from her big form into the little kitten I used to love playing with. I held her tight, until I just sort of… Fell asleep. I think that’s the reason Shadow hangs around in that small form so much.”

Lilith’s mind is still trying to process the information given to her, as the other woman slowly unlatches herself.  _ She looks terrible. _ Lilith thinks, as she looks on the red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks, and how could she not? After all that.

“Some Emperor’s guards found me the next morning. Luckily it was summer or I would have frozen to death in the night, they took me to Belos- and he welcomed me into the coven, trained me, gave me the closest thing to a home I’ve had since my first was ripped away.”

Lilith almost feels sick, as if she’s taken advantage of the woman before her, forcing her to bare her soul and spill out trauma that has festered within her mind for decades. She knows the other woman won’t see it that way, but the guilt simply amplifies itself then.

Slowly, she reaches out, trying her best to ignore the slight flinch of Gwen’s body as her hands enter the assassin’s field of view. She cups the taller woman’s head in her hands as gently as she can, bringing their foreheads together as a tear trails down her cheek.

“I’m so, so sorry, that you had to go through that.”

Gwendolyn chuckles sadly, another fresh set of tears welling up in her own eyes.

“I still have the scar, y’know- from the bat?”

“What?” Lilith mutters in horror, as Gwen’s hand slowly comes up to rest above her own hand. She slowly guides the redhead’s hand up into her hair, just above her ear. Lilith’s breath hitches in her throat as she feels it, just above her ear. It’s massive. She screws her eyes shut to force herself to think of anything but how hard a blunt object must have been swung to create such a wound.

_ He’d almost taken the top of her head clean off. _ A traitorous thought manages to worm its way through her defenses anyways, and Lilith feels more tears pour down her cheeks.

“I’ve, uhh, I’ve never let anyone touch it before.” Lilith goes wide eyed, the other woman looks almost sheepish- no, not sheepish,  _ ashamed _ .

The red haired woman nearly breaks down at the teary eyed look she gets, feeling ashamed of herself- and so, so unworthy of the trust placed in her, of the secrets she’d been deigned worthy of knowing. She almost wants to tell the other woman of her own follies and mistakes, if only out of some sick sort of obligation, but she cuts herself off- it wouldn’t be right telling that story without asking Eda first.

So, instead she forces her face into the closest facsimile of a comforting look she’s capable of adopting, and she regards the woman, who chuckles nervously under the weight of her stare.

“You must think I’m a right mess huh? After al-”   
  
“Thank you.”   
  
Lilith nearly snorts at the confusion that paints its way onto her face at that.

“For what?” Gwendolyn asks, confused.

“For trusting me with your story. Thank you.”

Tears fall again, and the sadness she feels from that is only overshadowed by the feeling of sheer  _ warmth _ that she receives in the form of the smile Gwendolyn shoots her.

“Who else?”

Lilith cringes internally at that, clenching her jaws shut before she can respond, because she can name about a dozen people better than her- but she doesn’t. If Gwen trusts her, who is she to question that?

“For the record.” She says. “I don’t think you’re a mess, or at least- not as big a mess as I am.”

Gwendolyn scoffs, shifting slightly. “You, a mess- I don’t believe it?”

Lilith laughs, tension rolling off her shoulders. “You have  _ no  _ idea.”

Gwendolyn regards her then, and Lilith’s cheeks flush red at the look. She’ll never understand how the other woman does it, but even with her face a mess of runny makeup and tears, she manages to pull off a smolder.

“A hot mess, maybe.”

Lilith laughs, before yelping as she’s dragged forward into a deep kiss. Her eyes widen slightly in shock, before closing them as her arms snake around the assassin’s neck. She twists herself as Gwendolyn shifts the two of them into another position, arm cupping the small of her back, the redhead now lying on top of the taller woman as they continue their kiss.

After what could be an eternity, they break apart for air, Lilith bringing up a hand to fix her glasses, sitting askew on her nose, before looking at the other woman again.

“Wow.”

They both laugh at that.

“Wow, indeed.” Gwendolyn agrees, looking at the redhead as if she’s hung the stars themselves, before continuing. “Hey, so. About that date.”   
  
Lilith looks at her for a bit. “Yeah?”   
  
“Wanna go to the ball with me?”   
  
Lilith genuinely yelps at that, nearly jumping off the couch- the only thing keeping her from doing so being the arm still firmly on her back.

“What?” She hisses, absolutely burning with embarrassment. “Isn’t that a bit soon?” She hisses.

Gwen looks at her confused for a few seconds, before bursting out into laughter. “Oh, oh no I didn’t mean it like that, I was just wondering if you wanted to accompany me, y’know? As my girlfriend?”   
  
Well… At least Lilith finally knows what they mean by “stomach full of butterflies”, it’s nice- welcome even. But still…   
  
“You  _ know _ that asking a date to the Starlight ball is tantamount to a proposal. It’s one of the oldest traditions we  _ have _ .”   
  
Gwendolyn shrugs. “Fuck tradition. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Lilith chuckles, rolling her eyes fondly. “Fair enough.”   
  
“Sooo…. Is that a yes?” 

Lilith sighs. “Alright.”

The excited wiggle Gwendolyn does definitely shoots up to her top 3 favourite sights. Lilith lets out a small gasp as the hand on the small of her neck pushes her down a bit.

She gives the other woman a dirty look, she just laughs.

“C’mere.”   
  
Lilith shakes her head fondly. “You’re terrible.” But obliges, moving down to capture the assassin's lips in another kiss.

\--

Eda stumbles upon them hours later, storming through the house on a mission.

“Lily, Lily where are you? Dinner’s almost- what the?” she mutters, as she spots the two through the still open door to the library.

Lilith is sleeping on the couch, still fully clothed (thank whatever deity is up above) and there’s another person with her- Gwendolyn, Eda realizes with a start as she spots the familiar tangle of inky hair, Lilith is using her as a pillow it seems.

_ When did she get here? _ Eda thinks to herself.

She quietly steps into the room, trying not to make a sound that would wake the two women up, as she looks at the sight before her.

There’s tear tracks on both their faces, combined with the ruined mascara both of them sport, it’s safe to assume that there’s been a fair bit of crying, it seems.

“Oh Lily.” She sighs, as she looks on the sleeping face of her sister, she shoots a quick glare at the sleeping assassin.

“You better not hurt her.” She growls, before storming off to the window. With a yank, she closes the still-open window, before a voice calls out.

“Never.”   
  
Eda freezes, before answering.

“How long have you been awake?”   
  
“Ten minutes?”   
  
“Why don’t you move?”   
  
“She’s sleeping. ‘s comfy.” The still half-asleep woman mutters.

Eda sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, before. “You need anything?”   
  
“Would a blanket be too much?”

Eda doesn’t reply, instead storming out of the room.

A few moments later, she returns with a thick woolen blanket, neither saying a word as the owl lady drapes it over her sleeping sister and her impromptu pillow.

“Thank you.” The woman mutters, and Eda nods.

Once she’s out the door, she closes it slowly, before a small smile makes its way onto her face.

_ Seems like you found yourself a good one, sis. _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  
  
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the gays are winning.
> 
> Can you tell I utterly love writing the two of them?
> 
> as per usual, leave a comment and/or kudo if you enjoyed it, and see y'all in the next chapter!


	25. Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, at a full 10K words, is brought to you by: My inability to take it easy, combined with a shitty sleep schedule
> 
> this is basically pure fluff, hope you all enjoy!
> 
> [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) is an awesome beta reader and editor, with a new in- progress BNHA fic, check it out!

Well then.

Today was the day, wasn’t it?

Belos stood in his private chambers, gazing at his own visage in the mirror. It was… strange, seeing himself without a mask on. Over the decades, it had become his face, more so than the actual flesh underneath it had. The thought of spending an entire day without wearing it was a strange thought even now, as if going outside without his clothes.

Then again, that was the entire point of today. A trip, an activity to partake in between him and his daughter- a bonding experience, as he tried to convince himself. 

The mask was a symbol of the emperor of the isles. The man underneath the gilded mask, however, he was the father of an exuberant teenager. Even now, he had trouble believing the two of them to be one and the same on occasion.

Looking himself over once more, the messy black hair and beard, the myriad of scars covering every inch of visible skin, there was a twinge of nervousness at the sight. Would going out like this draw unwanted attention?

He looked down, at the plain outfit he wore, a simple blouse and pants, combined with a pair of cheap leather boots on his feet. Kikimora had been overjoyed at the prospect of finding him something different to wear, and though he had to admit that the lack of the cloak’s weight around his shoulder was nice, he still wondered if he might not be better off wearing something different.

He caught himself in the middle of pondering that, and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a frustrated exhale. 

_Was it normal to be this nervous?_

It was ridiculous, he knew it was. He ruled over an empire that he had built from the ruins of the war torn nations that had made up the isles, making decisions that affected the lives of millions on a daily basis, and a mere shopping trip was setting his nerves alight with worry, nervosity and the nagging feeling at the back of his skull that there was no way he was cut out for this.

He recalls feeling the same exact thing when the realization of him becoming a father had first really set in, when the shock and joy had subsided and a feeling of inadequacy had seeped in, Camila’s well intentioned words only serving to hammer his feeling home.

It was just a trait Luz and Camila seemed to share, the ability to simply exist and make him question every decision he made in favour of second guessing himself. What could he have done differently? Better?

Those were things that raced through his mind ad infinitum whenever he thought of the bubbly brown haired girl that was Luz Noceda. 

He looked in the mirror once more, scowling at the dark bags underneath his eyes. Every night since the incident, he’d had the same dream.

That was something he could focus on later, however. He gazed at the clock suspended above the door. It was near noon- he was supposed to meet her soon.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes, working to separate the magical signature he was after from the rest of the isles. It didn’t take long. Ever since her activation of magic whilst bedridden, it had burned like a blazing star compared to the rest of the isles.

He sensed her, obscured partially by the magical barrier surrounding the Clawthorne estates. The strain on his magic to properly locate her spoke to the strength of the barrier, something that brought a smile to his lips. It seemed Lilith’s claims about protection weren’t exaggerated.

Slowly, and with the utmost care, he peeled the smallest hole possible within the barrier that he could, using his magic as a scalpel and stitches simultaneously. It took him a good few minutes, most of it spent making sure the holes he carved into the multiple layered barriers lined up in a way that would allow teleportation into the premises, and so that the moment he slipped past, the barriers would snap back into place.

It was a hassle, but one he was willing to undertake. After all, plowing through the barriers would negate the entire point behind Luz’ current residence on the properties.

Fully honed in, he felt the crackle of his own magic at the tip of his fingers, and the next moment he was standing in front of the owl house.

Once his feet impacted the ground, it took a moment to orient himself, looking all around him. The forests behind the Clawthrone estate were beautiful, the pond pristine, dark clear water that reflected the sunlight splendidly. He gazed over his shoulder at the mansion, looming up over the trees from its elevated position a few hundred meters behind him. 

When he turned back, however, his vision was obscured by an owls face, glaring at him fervently.

“Who are you, Hoo-”

**Thud.**

Startled by the sudden intrusion into his personal space, his hand shot out on pure reflex, clenched into a fist. He would forever deny the shriek that accompanied the motion. The sound his knuckles made as they impacted upon flesh echoed throughout the woods, sending a small flock of birds scattering into the air.

He stood there for a moment, blinking at his fist before gazing down at the owl-thing's face, lying motionless on the forest floor. It was then that he noticed something truly disturbing, there was no body, merely a neck (he chose to ignore the possibility that it was merely an exceedingly bendy head, and not a neck at all) coiling its way across the forest, seemingly sprouting from the front door of the owl house.

The door that was currently opening.

_Oh no_. He groaned mentally, as mop of brown hair appeared from behind the door.

“Noodle! We told you to leave Hooty alo...” A _very_ familiar figure asked, before her eyes widened to a comical degree upon the sight she was greeted with.

Belos, ruler of an empire whose foundations he rose out of the muck of war, feared and respected throughout the boiling isles, the single most powerful witch alive.

_Panicked._

If Gwen or Kikimora could see him right now, he would likely have had to find new confidantes. They would have laughed themselves into an early grave at the sight of the emperor gaping like a fish as Luz regarded him with an expression best described as stupefied.

“Uh… What happened here?”

“I was startled.” He quickly muttered, taking a step away before remembering to lower his fist. 

Luz just continued staring, gaze flicking between the creature and him.

_Truly an entrance worthy of an empero_ r. An unhelpful voice in his head snidely said.

_Shut it._ He snapped back.

\--

Luz was looking forward to today, all things considered. 

The past few days hadn’t been as boring as she might have feared, exploring the grounds around the Owl house and Amity’s constant visits keeping her entertained mostly throughout her stay here.

The latter brought with it a darkening to her cheeks and butterflies in her gut, something she’d thankfully managed to hide from the owl house’s other inhabitants. Eda and King would _never_ let it go.

Still, the urge to get out, to meet up with Willow and Gus again, to just… Hang out was overwhelming. It was nagging at the back of her skull from time to time, though she’d refrained from doing so, the past week’s events were still fresh in her mind.

_Too_ fresh. Yesterday she’d tried to get some more work done on those glyphs, a decision brought forth by Amity apparently not being able to make it to hang out, and Eda heading out into town to run her stand. The boredom had resulted in her cooped up in her own room, marker in hand and multiple glyph variations before her.

On a whim, she’d thought to recreate the glyph experiment she and her fa- Belos had undergone a while back, drawing a simple light glyph upon her hand, before trying to find this supposed magical energy around her, and forcing it into the symbol.

And it had _worked._

She’d watched in amazement as the drawn on lines had started to glow a bright purple. She’d been excited, ecstatic even- already trying to figure out how to improve the glyph.

The sensation of magic thrumming underneath her own will was, for lack of a better descriptor- like her body and mind were overcome with pure joy, the feeling so, _so_ very warming, and welcoming, and just right to her. 

And then she’d slipped for a moment, had knitted her eyebrows in confusion as she concentrated on the feeling of the magical surge within her body, feeling it oddly familiar.

And then her mind had flashed back to the last time she’d had that very same feeling, and every alarm bell and whistle within her mind had gone off at once.

Thankfully she’d been able to cut the magic off instead of exuding it like she’d done previously, but the thought itself… She’d frantically scrubbed the glyph off of her hand before tossing the book aside.

She’d not dared check out the book again, for fear of losing control again, hurting someone again, ki- She shook her head, then. Those thoughts were not ones she was in any rush to relive.

Instead, she’d busied herself with wondering about where exactly today would take her. If you’d asked her two weeks ago what her thoughts were on a shopping trip with the _literal_ Emperor of the Boiling isles, who apparently was her long lost father!? Well she’d probably have laughed.  
  
Right now she was just stoked, the prospect of going out into town exciting, and the thought of spending a day with Belos being the thing she was- actually really looking forward to.

He’d sent out a message ahead, saying he would pick her up at noon, Eda had left earlier, citing that she was gonna be “heading out to get off her ass for a bit” swiping King along the way, no doubt to cause sheer and utter chaos.

Luz briefly wonders if her being the princess would _technically_ give her the power to get them out of jail, should they get caught.

There was _no_ way she was asking Eda, _knowing_ the owl lady would get herself caught simply to see if it would work.

Something to bring up later, perhaps? Her train of thought derailed as the sound of a commotion outside rang out- her attention drawn to what appeared to be Hooty’s… Unique voice.

She dropped what she was doing, wondering if she was going to have to run over and grab Lilith again.

“I swear, Noodle, you are in _so_ much trouble if you try to eat Hooty again.” She sighed, hopping off of the couch and moving to open the front door.

The sight that greeted her was _definitely_ not what she’d been expecting.

Hooty was stretched out from the front door, currently lying motionless on the forest floor, near where the owl tube’s head stood none other than… Her father? Looking not unlike a deer caught in the headlights of a car, fist still raised.

_Well, apparently that’s an option too._ She thinks, when her mind manages to comprehend the scene before her.

She looks to Belos, then to Hooty, and to Belos again, repeating herself a few times before shooting her father a look that she hopes encompasses her confusion.

“Uh… What happened here?”  
  
He actually flinched a bit, Luz noted with no small amount of amusement, before quickly snapping back a reply.

“I was startled.” He says, sounding somewhat… embarrassed. 

That makes Luz crack up, catching herself on the doorframe as she giggles for a bit. She notes the slight flush of embarrassment making its way onto her father’s face as he crosses his arms in indignation.

“Is he still alive?” She asks, amused.

Belos opens his mouth to respond, before pausing. Scooting a bit closer to the still unconscious house demon and poking it in the eye with the tip of his shoe. When the Owl tube twitches slightly at the touch, his head snaps back up to her.

“Probably?” He shrugs, tone indicating that he’s not certain.

Luz sighs, walking over to Hooty’s face herself, crouching down and bringing her head close to where she reckons the thing’s ears are.

Cupping her hands on either side of her mouth, she inhales, before-  
  
“HOOTY WATCH OUT, NOODLE’S HUNGRY!” She shouts, not able to keep the half chuckle out of her voice.

The effect is _instant_. The house demon’s eyes shoot open, feathers puffing up as he hisses in alarm.

“YOU’LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE, HOOT!” He shrieks, sounding utterly horrified, retracting back into the door.

She turns to Belos, looking up at him with a smirk as she cocks her hips slightly. He just 

looks down at her in confusion.

“Noodle?”  
  
Luz chuckles, inclining her head towards the pond. “Eda’s Lindwurm.”  
  
Belos twists around, looking into the pond, where two black eyes are regarding them curiously from the dark and clear waters. 

He shoots Luz a look that seems to scream “seriously?” The girl just shrugs.

“Why’d you even punch him anyways?” Luz mutters, shooting the massive man next to her an amused look. “He can be annoying sometimes, sure- but really?”  
  
Belos looks at her somewhat amusedly, hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck, before glancing past her and to the spot where the owl tube has merged with the door again, sporting a freshly forming black eye.  
  
“Would you believe me if I said that wasn’t the first time?”  
  
Luz snorts. “Seems like quite the interesting story.

“It involves a hit list, your mentor, and a kitchen sink.” He mutters, a deadpan made hilarious by the absurdity of what exactly he’s saying.

“Soo, are you gonna tell me?”

“No.”

She pouts, crossing her arms. “You’re no fun.”  
  
“Be still my bleeding heart.” He mutters, before shooting the girl a small smile. “Shall we get going then?” He muttered, extending his hand.

Luz nodded, before freezing upon realizing that the familiar weight of her satchel was missing. She looked to the house before turning back to him with a sheepish expression.

“I, uh. Forgot my bag, be right back.”

\--

After the brown haired girl had found her satchel, she’d accepted his hand, screwing her eyes shut as she no doubt prepared herself for the imminent teleportation.

The second time, it was markedly easier to circumvent the spells cast on the property, he’d found, only taking a fraction of the original time. With a crackle of magic and a loud “pop”, they were off, leaving nothing but swirling leaves and a very confused Lindwurm in their wake.

When they pop back into existence, Belos has to bite back a chuckle at the unsteady swaying the smaller of the two undertakes. Vertigo is never pleasant, and being dragged throughout spacetime is known to induce quite the heavy dose of it to those not yet truly familiar with it.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” she mutters, looking slightly green.

“I thought the same.” He mutters, snapping his fingers and poofing a bucket into existence in front of the teenager.

He can’t help but laugh at the dirty look she shoots him.

“Where are we?” She asks him after a beat, no doubt unfamiliar with the scenery around them, just as he’d intended, they’re in a small valley- surrounded on both sides by hillocks positively teeming with flora aplenty. He motions for her to follow him as he walks towards one side of the clearing they’re currently in.

“Uh, I thought we were going out into Bonesborough?” She says, taking off after him.

“You are familiar with Bonesborough already, are you not?” He says, spotting the thing he is looking for. An old oak tree, standing alone in the field. “I thought a change of scenery would be in order.”

“I mean, kinda? But Bonesborough is like.. Huge!” Luz counters, stretching her arms to enunciate the word.

“Bonesborough is the largest city in the isles, correct.” He says, stopping a foot away from the oak tree, where its roots did themselves into the dirt below. He allows himself a slight smirk as he glances over his shoulder, to where his daughter stands, confused. “But far from the only one.”  
  
He steps forward.

Through the tree.

\--

_What just happened?_ Luz thinks, now freshly alone in the clearing.

One moment she’d been trailing after Belos, confused as to why he’d dumped the two of them in a field with not a hint of civilization to be found anywhere near them.

The next moment, he’d walked straight through a tree, and the sky had rippled as he’d done it.

  
She couldn’t help the excited squeal that made its way out of her mouth. _Magic was so cool!_

A moment passes, before he steps back out of the magical? Real? Tree.

“Well then, are you coming?”  
  
Luz laughs, bolting towards the possibly-not-even-there tree. The moment her head would have normally impacted upon solid bark, what she instead feels is a sensation not dissimilar to jumping face first into a pool.

Of course, the sensation isn’t totally the same, there’s no clinging wetness or the rushing of blood in her ears as she dives under, but the way it blankets her completely is the same.

She’d closed her eyes shut before passing through, a reflex her mind still seemed to have, brought forth by what to her eyes still constituted as solid lumber. But once she opened them again, the sight was nothing short of _breathtaking._

Where previously there had been rolling valleys and forests as far as the eye could see, now within those features, stood a city. One that Luz was pretty sure she’d never even heard of before. It resembled the city she knew only superficially, some of the architecture looking familiar, beyond that, though?  
  
She hardly recognised anything witch-like in the uniform and strikingly modern looking buildings, or the wall surrounding what looked like the town’s center. Even from here, she could spot the bustling movements of hundreds of witches and demons going about their day.

The only thing that sours the sight is the Titan’s head blotting out a massive portion of the horizon, the truth of the massive being’s existence putting her slightly on edge

“What is this place?” She can’t help but wonder aloud.

“Sternhaven.” Her father’s voice calls out from beside her, and she jumps slightly. It’s honestly freaky how someone that big can move that silently.

“I’ve never even heard of this place before, it’s beautiful.” She mutters. From beside her, Belos hums in agreement. “Indeed it is. Bonesborough might be the main trading hub on the isles, and it’s largest population center, but _this?_ This is it’s sparkling center of innovation.”

She looks at him, surprised at the sheer emotion in his voice, the _pride_ that he seems to have for this place. He’s unaware of her gaze being drawn away from the city and onto him, staring at it as he is.

“In Bonesborough I was crowned emperor.” He says, and Luz can’t help but flinch as she recalls the situation surrounding that event. “There the burden of leadership and guidance was placed upon me. This was one of the first projects I undertook, a hub where the most brilliant minds in the isles could congregate, where the drive to be better, to be _more_ than the cobbled together groups of warring nations was cultivated.”  
  
His gaze drifts down to her for a moment, and she wonders what goes through his mind as he looks at her. 

“This kingdom of mine? Its borders were drawn in bloods, its cities built on bones and its people formed of conflict. But the isles as a nation? Here is where it began.”  
  


Luz stares back at the scenery before them, his words still ringing in her mind as she takes in the sights. “Y’know, sometimes I kinda miss that weird bond of ours.”  
  
He gives her an odd look.

She laughs. “Not the foreboding stuff, and definitely not the whole connection part- seriously you’d think a built in lie detector would be neat, but it got old quickly. Just.. this.” She gestures to the landscape before them “It’s just, well- there was something about this place, about the glimpses and the sights and the smells and the sounds, even when they were just dreams and not well… Real. I miss seeing them when I close my eyes.”

To be fair, she still sometimes dreams of the isles, of the adventures she’s had and the friends she’s made, and those are wonderful- but they feel less real, like something you previously were able to touch being replaced by a painting of the same object. 

“Can’t say I agree there, I quite like having my soul intact. Though for what it’s worth, I apologize for making your dreams less interesting.” He japes, and she chuckles.

“Your apology is accepted.” Luz replies, trying to force her voice into a mockery of her father’s accent. It fails- horribly- though the resulting laughter has her cracking up too, the two of them chuckling among themselves.

Luz can’t help but think that today’s shaping up to be pretty great.

“I suppose we should get going then?” He says, turning to her, finger outstretched with magic glowing at the tip of his outstretched finger. “I take it the same disguise as before will suffice?”  
  
Luz is on the verge of nodding, before something crosses her mind, something that, should it work- would be amazing.

“I think I have a better idea.” She says, before motioning for him to lean down so she can tell him.

\--

Amazement wasn’t something he was inclined to feeling from time to time, after all- when you’re alive this long, things that might happen once in a normal lifetime for the average person became somewhat infrequent, yet still common enough occurrences.

And yet, here he was, looking on, utterly stupefied as his daughter pranced around the bustling streets with nought a care in the world, with absolutely _nobody_ paying but the slightest bit of attention to her.

All it had taken was a small illusion spell to make her ears look like those of a witch, and suddenly nobody recognised one of the most famous faces on the boiling isles anymore.

  
Well, he supposed that was a small mercy. It freed up his mind a slight bit, allowing him to enjoy the sights and sounds more freely.

How long had it been since he’d freely walked the streets among his people? Too long, he supposed. The bustling crowds and booming businesses that greeted him whichever way he turned filled his heart with joy.

He supposed doing this more often was not out of the question, if only because Luz seemed to be enjoying this even more than he was.

Every stand she was gawking at, every shop she peered into, every new smell she sniffed, it was like a whole new world had opened before her, and she was taking every opportunity to indulge in its magnificence.

One advantage of being as tall as he is, he supposes, is being able to see where she goes through the busy streets, being able to peer over the crowd and watch the messy mop of dark brown hair dash around from curb to curb.

Though, he supposes letting her wander off too far would not be a good idea. He cups a hand to the side of his mouth, sucking air into his lungs with the intent of calling out to her, before he stops himself.

  
He looks around him, the street is positively bustling with people, and calling out her name would no doubt draw looks and questions that neither of them want. Especially with the fact that they’re coming up on one of the many markets the city prides itself on, stationed in one of the many town squares littered throughout the busy streets.

Instead he opts to speed up, walking quickly in order to catch up to the teenager still in her own world.

“Enjoying yourself?”  
  
She nods at him, almost looking like she’s got stars in her eyes. “Yeah, this is _amazing_. Why didn’t I know about this earlier?”

“It’s not mentioned a whole lot in school, at least not in the earlier years. Towards the last two years it gets covered, if I recall correctly.” He responds. 

“What’s with the illusion, anyways?”

He can already _feel_ the oncoming headache as she asks the question, rubbing at his temples as he regards that particular thorn in his side.

“When the construction was underway, I enlisted the first head of the illusion coven to help me hide it from… Prying eyes, upon its completion we’d since switched over to illusion coven head nr. 3, after that it became some sort of… Tradition, for the members of the illusion coven, one that I have since _not_ been able to convince them to drop. For their help in the city’s construction I allowed them to situate their coven headquarters in the city. To this day, some of the other covens are still adamant I’m picking favourites.”  
  
If he heard that accusation thrown in his face _one_ more time- he was pretty certain he was going to erase whoever said it from the isles’ face, and history- if he was sufficiently pissed off prior to that.  
  
“Y’know, for an emperor- you really do seem to just let your underlings do whatever.” She teases.

“Were it so easy?” He mutters. “The nine covens are spread all over the isles, they act as the de facto heads of state for their specific cities, reporting only to me and the emperor’s coven. There’s only so much an “iron fisted rule” will bring you in the long run. I have found allowing some level of autonomy to work best.”

He didn’t mention the fact he had assassins and spies at the ready all over the isles, a fair few within the ranks of each coven. Autonomy was reasonable, but thoughts of secession? Less so.  
  
“What about Kikimora, and Gwen? They seem to just do whatever, well- Gwen that is.”

“Kikimora is my oldest confidante, someone I entrust with a number of duties because I have confidence in her ability to handle them. As for Gwendolyn? She is a wildcard in every sense but one- loyalty. She’d die for my cause, and though I would not ask it of her, the thought is reassuring.”

Besides, Gwen had always been a loner at heart- forcing her to work within the confines of his word would only hamper her effectiveness.

“By the way, I’ve gotta ask- what’s with the name, Sternhaven? Is that because-”  
  
“It is located upon the titan’s sternum, yes.” He finishes.

There’s a beat of silence, and then.

“Pfft…. You guys are _really_ bad with names, you know that?”

He turns and looks at her.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, really? Bonesborough? Sternhaven? What’s next, Knuckleberg?” 

The silence that stretches out is a little too long, as Luz’ face shifts first into incredulity, and then sheer glee. Belos, on the other hand, feels his cheeks flush slightly.

_Most of those names were his idea, well besides Bonesborough- but that's besides the point._

“Seriously?” Luz cackles. Drawing glances from the crowd around them, though none give her more than a passing glance.

“It’s an efficient method of naming, it indicates the location and the size of the settlement in one swoop.” He defends himself, though his tone is only half serious, even _he_ can agree that names were never his strong suit.

“Still…” She teases.

“There’s a reason I wasn’t allowed within 10 feet of the _option_ of naming you.” He says good naturedly, and Luz snorts at that, before her eyes widen slightly and she gives him a strange look.

“What was it like… You and mom?”

That stops him in his tracks, staring in front of him unblinkingly, though he’s not really looking at anything in particular, his mind trapped in a different life, one he so wishes he could have lived to its fullest.

Coming to again, he sighs, looking at the girl beside him for a bit before sighing. His mind races at breakneck speed, trying to find the words to express what their relationship had been like. He finds himself coming up short- there’s a thousand descriptors that run through his head, but none quite captured what it had been like.

His gaze flicks away from her, mouth hanging slightly askew with the promise of words he has no idea to say threatening to spill forth- before he spots something. A stand currently free of customers, serving what he recognises to be eye scream.

_Getting something to eat, that was something done on a trip like this, right?_ Even if it isn’t it will buy him some time to collect his thoughts and hopefully give Luz a satisfying answer.

“I’ll tell you- but first, want to get something to eat?” 

Luz looks like she’s about to protest, but stops. Whether she’s aware of his mental plight, or if she’s genuinely hungry he does not know, but he’s grateful either way.  
  


Five minutes later, they’re both sitting on a nearby fountain side by side, holding identical cones filled with the cold, sweet treat.

He’s not able to remember the last time he had one of these, but the first time he bites into the frozen cream and the faux eyeballs containing sticky syrup he can’t help but feel a rush of nostalgia hit him. He’ll never admit it, but the moment he bites into one of them, and a ghastly moan bounces around through his skull, he finds his heart skipping a beat.

_Eye scream indeed._

Looking to his left, he snorts at the look Luz is giving the treat, both hands wrapped around the wafer, twisting it as she looks at it with trepidation. His mind makes the mental connection of her treating it like a wild animal, and he laughs. The sound drew a glare from the teenager.

“What’s so funny?” She snaps, holding the thing up higher. “Are.. are these?” She asks, pointing at one of the excellent replica eyeballs sticking out of the frozen cream.

He shakes his head. “No, they’re filled with syrup.” He says, conveniently “forgetting” to mention the spell that gives the treat its name.

She sighs, looking mildly relieved at that. Though she’s seemingly still hesitant about trying it. The girl turns to him after a few moments, as he’s in the middle of taking another bite- and she looks like he’s grown a third head.

“What?” He mutters.

“You _bite_ your ice cream?” She whispers in what sounds like genuine horror.

“.... Yes?”

The look of disappointed revulsion she sends his way nearly has him wonder if he’s done something wrong, before the fact that it’s apparently a disagreement about the way he consumes junk food that she’s so upset about. Though the fact she’s still not even tried hers is curious.

“Do you wish for me to get another flavour?” He says, pointing back at the stand.

Luz shakes her head. “That’s not it… I’m not sure if I can have this? Do you know if there’s any lactose in this?”

He blinks.

“Lactose?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m lactose intolerant, if I eat anything that contains it my stomach gets all upset and…. You don’t know what lactose is, do you?” She trails off, looking at the confused expression on his face.

He inclines his head.

“It’s this stuff that’s in specific types of dairy, like cow’s milk.”  
  
Ah.

Well, that’s bound to be an issue.

“Quite frankly, I’ve got no clue, though I do know that at the very least these aren’t made with cow’s milk.”  
  
That seems to surprise her. “Really? What do they make it from?”  
  
“Spider cows.” 

“Spider…. cows? How do you milk a spider?” Luz wonders aloud.

“With difficulty, I assume.” He says, thinking back to the yearly damage, mauling, trampling, poisoning, and a myriad of other claims those farms file for. Luz mistakes his honest lamentation for jesting, and bursts out laughing at it.

“Well, here goes nothing.” She says, taking a big lick from the eye scream before popping one of the fake eyeballs into her mouth. He chuckles slightly as she winces, the dirty look she shoots him only adding to his amusement.

As his daughter tore into her eye scream with vigor, he found himself looking at the last bite, a measly scrap of frozen cream within the last bit of wafer. With a sigh he popped it into his mouth, glancing from the corner of his eye at Luz.

_He still had no clue on what to say._

He’d told her a few stories before. Their first meeting had been something the girl had found infinitely hilarious. In hindsight, it was quite the funny tale, though in the moment he’d been less than appreciative of the woman’s quite literal crash into his admittedly disastrous life, and he thought back with a frown upon his subsequent behaviour, even as he’d allowed himself to be carted off from place to place with only a few annoyed grunts from time to time.

He supposed that was the gist of their relationship, a whirlwind of a woman had swept him away, and he’d enjoyed every second of being caught in the maelstrom, carried further and further into her storm until he’d found himself in the eye. A place where all the jibes and jokes intermingled with loving whispers and tender embraces. Where the greatest gift he’d ever could have imagined obtaining had blossomed between them.

He shoots her a look, shaking his head. That might be a little too much. Though he supposes some parts might be useful towards her own plight, whether she’s aware of it or not.

“Your mother… I don’t think I’ve ever met a being quite like her. I’m old as can be, but even I can’t find the words that do her justice.” He says, causing Luz to look up at him, expression amazed.

“She kept me humble with her constant jokes, though she always made me strive to do things better- to _be_ better, and yet despite it all she managed to make me feel like I belonged…”  
  
_And I threw it all away._ A toxic voice whispers in his ear, causing him to freeze for a moment, forcing himself into a momentary peace with the truth of it, before he turns back to his daughter, now listening with rapt attention.

“Y’know I never did manage to work up the courage to ask her out- wasn’t even sure she liked me in the first place. She asked me out a week later. imagine if she’d opted to wait for me to make the first move instead. That would have been a disaster.” 

Luz’ chuckles are soon joined by his own as he looks over at the crowd slowly moving through the market, a content look on his face.

“Are you… Enjoying things, where you are right now?” He asks after a moment, curious about how the change of scenery has found her.

“Still kinda weird, but it’s _awesome_ … Well except for when Noodle tried to eat Hooty… And King, but beyond that? It’s been great! Amity even came by a few times, apparently she lives close by- we’re practically neighbors now, isn’t that great!”  
  
He snorts at her excitement, before his mind halts at the last part of her answer. A small smirk makes its way onto his face.

“Neighbors, you say?”

Luz nods in a way that has him wonder if she’s gonna develop whiplash, she throws her arms outward, a bright smile on her face.

“Yup, it’s only like- a five minute walk, so she’s been stopping by every time she can- I need to invite Gus and Willow over sometime too, but yeah. A few days ago I was drawing and she came over and we talked for like an hour and… Why are you looking at me like that?” Luz mutters, cutting off her rambling as she notices the way his grin has shifted into a full blown smirk.

“It seems the two of you are pretty great friends.” He says, trying to keep his tone as innocent as possible.

“I mean… Yeah?” She agrees. “She’s the best, she’s funny, cool, she likes azura too, she’s smart and she’s always ready to help me.” It’s less a list of reasons and more straight up gushing, in his opinion.

  
  


“You like her quite a lot, it seems.” He says, and to his surprise (and amusement) her cheeks darken slightly.

“I do.” She mutters wistfully, before freezing as she realizes just what she said 

“Was it that obvious?” She groans, burying her head in her hands.

He laughs. “Up until just now, you were hiding it quite well… Unlike a certain other person.” He trails off, chuckling at how blatantly the youngest Blight was head over heels for the girl sitting besides him.

Luz just looks at him. “Who?”

He just shoots her a tired look, one that hopefully expresses the feeling of “really?” to a sufficient degree.

To his surprise, it seems to work. As Luz’ eyes widen to a comical degree, and she snaps her head towards.

“Amity…. Likes me?”

He’s probably overstepping his boundaries, but in that moment he cannot help but ruffle the girl’s hair fondly, some sort of parental instinct taking over. “That took a lot longer than it should have.” He mutters.

The girl doesn’t move, seemingly awestruck by the realisation.

“Amity likes… Me?” She turns to him again. “But why me?” She sounds in near hysterics at the last word, and he is reminded that it was basically the exact same way he’d reacted all those years ago. The same mix of confusion and terror, all bundled up neatly within the question “why would someone willingly choose me?” Camila had just laughed at him as he’d asked it, and he remembers feeling more than a little frustrated afterwards.

So, probably best if he doesn’t do that.

He chuckles. “Why _not_ you?” He hopes it’s enough- it’s the best he’s able to come up with on short notice.

“A- are you sure?” She asks, now very concerned.

_The girl stood up to more than three dozen assassins for you, yes I’m sure._ He wants to groan.

“I am quite sure.” Is what he ends up saying instead. Shooting her a smile that he hopes is at least somewhat encouraging.

“Amity likes me... “ She trails off, sounding stunned, before once more burying her head in her hands. “What am I going to do?”

That is quite the question she poses, he has to agree there.

“I think you’re talking to the wrong person, if you want an answer to that question.” He mutters. “Though I do have one bit of advice. Don’t wait on her to make the first move- you’ll be dead of old age before she works up the courage.”  
  
“Noted.” Luz chuckles, before groaning- clutching her stomach.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, turning to her as she doubles over.  
  
“I just thought of asking her out and well… I think it’s either nerves, or there was some lactose in that eye scream.” She groans. Shooting him a pitiable look.

He hopes it’s merely the former.

\--

  
Thankfully, it seems that it was in fact, merely nerves. And after a tense few moments the two of them are back on their way- apparently quite close to their destination. Luz wasn’t even fully aware that they’d even _had_ a destination to begin with.  
  
Then again, she wasn’t paying attention to a _lot_ of things right now, following the general shape of her father as he weaved his way through the mass of people on autopilot, her mind on overdrive with one realization.

_Amity likes me, and I like Amity, Amity likes me,_ ** _Amity likes me-_** Her mind screams at her on loop, repeating itself like a mantra, well not a mantra, that was supposed to focus your mind and not have it nearly imploded with the fact that the cutest girl… Ever, apparently liked you back.

Luz doesn’t know what to feel, more specifically- doesn’t know what feeling to focus on. Terror? Yeah she’s plenty terrified, worried that despite the reassurances Amity _doesn’t_ like her. Happy? She feels like she could break into the conformatorium, punch warden Wrath in the face, and somersault back out right now, so yeah- she’s pretty happy.

There’s about a dozen more emotions that she ends up feeling, all of them congregating to form the biggest emotional mess Luz reckons she’s ever experienced, with one thing at the helm.

“ _Don’t wait on her to make the first move, you’ll be dead of old age before she works up the courage.”_

Had he meant that? Probably, what reason had he to lie? Absolutely none. In fact, it seemed quite like he was sympathizing with her and her plight, and still it was somewhat easier to pretend it was a joke or some mean spirited jibe, rather than actual advice.

Mainly because it meant that _she_ would have to be the one to ask Amity out, and quite frankly? She had not the faintest idea as to how she was going to manage that.

She’d had crushes before, a few here and there- never before had she been confident enough to actually act on them. Always worried it was going to end in heartbreak, but if what Belos said was true… That meant she really had no excuse. 

_Somehow that made it worse._

So caught up was she in her own little world, that she didn’t notice the fact Belos had come to a halt until she slammed into his back face first, she didn’t even move him as she bounced off, nearly falling onto her butt.

“This is the place.” He says, looking over his shoulder at her whilst motioning to the right.

Following his gesture she sees a small, nondescript shop tucked in between two massive clothing stores. 

Above the admittedly humble looking shop a sign reading “Tyrell’s tailors, where the quality does the talking.” is carved into the wooden beam running above the massive window that allows her a small peek into the shop- spotting…. Surprisingly little. There’s no customers, and barely any clothing she can spot. 

Then again, she’s never really gone clothes shopping in the boiling isles… Well, ever, so maybe there’s something more to it?

She’s about to ask about it, when he takes off, leaving her scrambling to catch up. Stepping inside he holds the door open for her, and she ducks underneath his arm, looking around she finds her earlier assessment correct.

There really is _nothing_ in this shop.

“Are you sure we’ve got the right place?” 

Belos simply grunts, the sound she assumes is a yes, before she hears a set of heavy footsteps coming closer. Her eyes are drawn to the back of the shop, where the sound seems to be coming from, specifically from a doorway located between two display cases currently filled with what looks to be various sorts of tools.

A few moments later a plump ashen coloured figure greets them,kind violet eyes burning with warmth from underneath white eyebrows, and a massive mustache quirked up in what she assumes is a smile? She’s not sure, it’s covering his lips. Atop his balding head two tiny horns poke out, and as he turns to take place behind the counter, she can vaguely spot a tail swishing behind him, drawing lazy patterns in the air.

She has the vague feeling that she recognises him from somewhere.

“Tyrell’s tailors, name’s Tyrell- and before you ask. No, the shop’s not named after me, that was my grandfather, what can I do for you.” The man’s deep voice rings out, booming through the small shop.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.” Belos mutters, turning to the side slightly to inspect some sort off… Is that a sickle? Whatever it is, he moves on from it quickly enough. “The last time I was here, this place was stocked wall to wall with the finest fabrics the isles had ever seen, what happened?”

The man chuckles slightly. “Ah, that was a while back. My father ran the shop then- and yes, he was also named Tyrell. After a while he found himself not being able to keep up with some of the bigger shops popping up, so he decided to change his strategy. Started doing commision work instead, focussing on better materials- magics weaved into them and all that, quality, not quantity. That’s how I’ve been running this shop for the better part of a decade now.”

Belos hums quietly. “I see, a wise decision- unfortunately I will not be making use of your more… Exquisite pieces, I merely need one of these.” Snapping his fingers once what Luz recognises as the tattered remains of his cloak deposit themselves onto the counter in front of Tyrell. 

The tailor scoffs at the state of the remains as he picks them up, looking at it with a critical eye. “Did this thing have an argument with a blender or something?” He mutters, shooting the raven haired man a confused look.

“Let’s call it… ill advised usage of sharp objects.” He replies, shooting her an amused look out of the corner of his eye.

Luz _totally_ doesn’t huff at that, and she definitely doesn’t cross her arms.

“Quality’s mediocre at best, fabric is one of our lower end materials, and this...

There’s a sharp intake of breath, and Luz turns to look at the man. He’s looking at a particular piece of the cloth in what appears to be utter horror. He flips it around, and Luz spots the thing he’s in such a fuss about.

It’s the symbol of the Emperor’s Coven.  
  
“Where did you get this?” He hisses, before shaking his head- holding both of his hands out. “Never mind, I do not want to know- just get out of my shop.”

“I can assure you we are here on legitimate business, your family has supplied these cloaks to the emperor himself since you first opened this shop.” 

That seems to strike a nerve. “Exactly, what? Would you like us to add “a special surprise” for the emperor or something? He has brought my family nothing but prosperity, so if you think for a moment I’ll try something now- you can take this cloak and shove it right where the sun doesn’t shine!” The portly man roars, shaking the torn fabric angrily.

Belos looks unimpressed, though there is a shine of amusement hidden in his blue eyes, whilst the man behind the counter seems to be growing angrier by the second. Luz is getting kind of worried in all honesty, not for the emperor in disguise (was it a disguise if nobody knew what you looked like?), but for the poor man who might very well be signing a death warrant with every new word that pours forth from his mouth.

She’s so caught up in the tensing atmosphere, that she doesn’t notice the rapidly approaching pitter patter of tiny footsteps.

That is, until something slams into her leg, the sound drawing all eyes to her. Tyrell looks like he’s about to faint. Belos just looks confused.

“Honey, get away from he-”  
  
“PRINCESS!!!!” A tiny voice rings out  
  
She looks down with a start, finding a familiar face looking up at her adoringly, two deeply purple eyes peering out from under a mop of white hair, two tiny horns poking out from the crown of her head.

“Ellis!?”

“Hi.” The tiny demoness says, unlatching from Luz’ legs, before reaching up with chubby hands. “Up, kitty!”

She looks to the two men in the room, both of them looking at her with various shades of confusion, though the tailor seems to be looking between her and her father in equal amount.

Ellis doesn’t seem to notice- likely wouldn’t care either way, and just hops impatiently. “Up, Kitty!” She insists a bit louder.

Luz just sighs, bending down to grab the tiny demoness, in her arms, scooting her over onto one arm as she flips her hoodie over her head with the other. The faux cat ears aren’t even within the child’s reach for all of three seconds before she’s playing with them.

The constant pulling at her hoodie might obscure her vision, nearly obscuring her vision of the other two people currently within the shop

Her father simply looks amused, a slight smile on his lips.

Tyrell on the other hand- seems to have come to a realization, and looks like he’s about to turn into a ghost, or have a stroke. He’d been ashen before, now he looked simply _white._

“If you’re the princess....” He trails off, before he turns to the emperor, hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. “I, I- I’m so sorry, my emperor, I had no idea, please, anything you wish, you may take it- on the house.”  
  
Belos’ gaze flicking towards him is enough to make him swallow whatever words he was about to say next.

THe emperor snaps his fingers, and a sack of what appears to be snails slams down onto the counter, based on the way it clinks and clanks as it touches wood.

“You had no way of knowing, and you were trying to do the right thing- I thank you for that.” He says.

Tyrell lets out a breath that makes him look fifty pounds lighter, before gingerly accepting the massive bag of coins. “Thank you, my emperor.” He stammers

Belos doesn’t even dignify it with a grunt, merely staring intently at Luz and the child in her arms.

“I take it she is your daughter?” He says, motioning to the two of them, from what Luz can tell Ellis doesn’t even pay attention, still fumbling around with the cat ears atop her hoodie.

“She, she is. My pride and joy.” Tyrell says. Belos hums in agreement. 

“Luz, mind coming over here?” He says, the girl shoots him a look that screams “why?” but obliges, moving closer with the small demon child still in her arms. (That’s not meant to be an insult, it’s just… Well she’s a demon, and a child.) 

Luz can tell the moment Ellis notices the looming figure of the isles’ emperor, the fumbling with her cat ears stops almost immediately.

“Who’s that?” Rings the tiny voice out a moment later, looking almost offended at his presence, prompting Luz to slap a hand over her mouth to stop the amused snort from turning into a full blown laugh.

The giant man drops to a knee, regarding the purple eyed demoness with some level of amusement, Luz finds the entire display amusing as can be.

“I’m her father, little one.” He says. In a tone that makes it clear he’s genuinely intrigued by the presence of this little child.

“I’m not little.” Is the first thing that Ellis replies, crossing her arms and shooting an honest to god _glare_ at Belos, who replies with a bark of laughter that makes Tyrell jump. The poor man looks like he’s about to collapse from a heart attack.

After a few moments however, the anger shifts into a pensive look, a teeny finger coming to rest on the white haired child’s chin as she concentrates on something.

Suddenly, she looks at him again, awe colouring her expression in its purest form. “You’re her father?”

“Indeed I am, do you know what that makes me?” He says, rearing back up to his full height, Luz nearly rolls her eyes at the dramatic display.

“THE FATHER OF A PRINCESS!!!!” Ellis squeals, and there’s something about the way Belos’ expression just _drops_ that has Luz howling in laughter, struggling to keep herself upright as cackles pour from her mouth.

“.... Indeed.” He mutters, after a moment- before turning his attention back to the shopkeeper who nearly shrivels up at the the emperor’s gaze on him

“A fine young lady.” He says, before adding- after a beat. “I need a cloak, and a costume for her, made to whatever specifications she should desire.”

Tyrell nods. “Right away, the cloak will be delivered to the usual address, if that’s alright with you.”  
  
“It is, now then-” He turns to Luz. “Would you mind?”  
  
Luz nods, setting down Ellis, the tiny demoness seeming quite miffed at the fact she no longer has access to her favourite thing in the world.

“So, how do we do this?” She asks, as Tyrell steps out from behind the counter, she notices an instant shift in the man’s posture. Seemingly much more at ease with the distraction of doing his job, even with the emperor in the room with him.

“Ah, never done this before?” She shakes her head.

“That’s alright, arms out.” He says, and she does so, the next thing he does is draw a circle in the air- an identical one appearing beneath Luz’ feet. Slowly the circle moves upward, not stopping until it has cleared her head.

“Right, I’ve taken your measurements, any specifications?”

Luz blinks at that. Not really knowing what to say, she shoots Belos a look.

_What the hell am I supposed to say?_

He shrugs.

_It’s your outfit._ Is what she gathers from the look he sends her way, there is some amusement in his gaze, and she barely resists the opportunity to stick her tongue out at him.

“Uh, my lady?” 

It takes Luz a moment to register that he’s referring to her. 

“Oh yeah.. Uhh, just not a dress, beyond that- go wild. Also just call me Luz”

That seems to throw the man for a loop. “Are you sure my la-”  
  
“Luz.” She corrects.

The tailor’s cheeks flush in embarrassment. “Yes, well. Luz- Are you quite certain, anything you wish for, I can create.”  
  
“I think this is good.” Luz says, giving the man a beaming smile. “I’m sure whatever you make will be amazing.”

The man seems taken aback at the praise, but nods “Very well, it will be done tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Luz exclaims in shock. 

The man flinches, fiddling with his thumbs and not meeting her gaze. “Yes, apologies, with a guideline or instructions it would have been done before you left the shop- but such a thing you ask requires time, to get the best result, you see?”  
  
Luz blinks for a moment, confused at the apologies, before realizing just where the man has misunderstood her, she holds up her hands in a placating gesture, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

“NO, no, no seriously it’s fine, I’m just impressed at the speed, that’s all- where I’m from it takes like… A month, at least.” She says, remembering that from when she’d overhead her mother on the phone with one of her aunts, the latter complaining about the time it would take for a quinceanera dress to be made.

The man blinks in confusion, before nodding. “Ah, thank you pri- Luz. Anything else I can help you with?”

Luz is about to answer “no” when she spots Ellis out of the corner of her eye, and she remembers a promise made a while back.

“Actually… There is one thing…”

\--

Half an hour later, Ellis stands in the middle of the shop, clad in a miniature copy of Luz’ own hoodie, with- dare Luz say it? A few minor improvements.

Where her own cat ears were hastily sewn onto the material of the hood, Ellis’ version has small cutouts, allowing the girl’s horns to slot into the fabric without trouble, making it so when her hood is pulled up, the cat ears stand up.

It’s one of the most adorable sights Luz has ever seen, of that she’s certain. Ellis seems to be utterly in love. She hasn’t stopped staring at her reflection for the better part of five minutes, her expression has barely changed too. The girl seems frozen out of sheer joy.

“I take it there is more to this request than meets the eye?” Belos whispers in her ear, leaning down slightly. Luz chuckles as she remembers.

“Yeah, she was at the book club me and Amity were attending, was really angry at me because I was apparently “not a real princess”, it worked out in the end though.”

Belos’ snort is nothing but pure amusement. “And what wisdom led her to that conclusion?”

“Apparently the fact I didn’t wear dresses or a tiara, and that I hadn’t married a prince yet.”  
  
Another snort greets her. “Truly the most rigorous of requirements to be met.”

Luz chuckles at the deadpan. “Somehow she managed to get it into her head that cat eared hoodies also constitute as “proper” princess attire.”

He seems to have no response to that, and the two just look at the tiny girl for a bit. Seemingly still lost in her own world.

After a moment however, Ellis’ head snaps in Luz’ direction, fixing her with the oddest stare, the tiny demoness walks over, coming to a halt a few feet in front of her.

“Am I a princess now?” She asks, tone utterly serious as she points to herself, Luz can’t help but laugh at that. But nods nonetheless. “Yeah.”

“So, can I go to the ball?” She asks, again pointing to herself, this time slightly apprehensive. Luz shoots Belos a look then. He looks indifferent.

_Well, if he’s not saying no._

Luz smiles, before adopting the most regal tone she is capable of, dropping to a knee in front of the tiny girl.

“My first act as princess of the Boiling isles, is to invite you- and your family to the Starlight ball, as personal guests.” Luz can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all, but it’ll make the girl happy. So...

The tiny demoness lets out another shriek of joy, jumping at the brown haired girl and wrapping her short arms around her neck.

The embrace lasts a few moments before she steps back again.

“Marry a prince?” This time she’s pointing at _Luz_. The girl nearly chokes on her spit, before shooting a glare at be- her father, who averts his eyes, but makes no attempt to hide the smug expression he is wearing.

“Uhh, what do you mean?”

“Princess, marry boy, boy is prince now, marry prince.” Ellis explains with a smile on her face, no doubt extremely happy with her perfectly rational explanation.

“What happens if you marry a girl?” Comes her father’s voice then, startlin Luz before she can reply herself, she shoots the man a glare as she registers the teasing tone in his noice, before turning back to Ellis, who just looks confused.

“Why marry a girl?” She asks, and Luz sees the _perfect_ opportunity.

“Well…” She begins, grabbing the tiny girl’s hand in her own, slowly bringing it up, she stretches out one finger. “If you marry a prince, there’s one princess, right?”  
  
Ellis nods, before her eyes grow wide as Luz slowly stretches out a second finger. “if you marry a girl, there’s two princesses.”

Ellis goes slack jawed, looking at the two outstretched fingers like they hold the key to the universe itself within them.

_“Two princesses…..”_ She says, in a tone that makes it sounds like she’s seen a god in the flesh. Before her grin goes utterly manic, and she rushes off to where her father had disappeared to earlier, a scream of “TWO PRINCESSES!!!!” Following her out the door.

Luz looks at the tiny girl run off with a fond look in her eyes, before a figure steps next to her.

“My my, I did not know you had such great plans for the future.” Comes Belos’ voice, lathered in amusement and Luz just groans, elbowing him in the pelvis (She was aiming for the ribs, he’s just so freakishly tall.)

“You’re terrible, dad.” She groans.

She realizes what she’s said moments after doing so, but finds herself not caring all that much.

The word seems oddly fitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom, that's that done- please dont expect this to be a habit, though my obsessive self will probably make it a habit
> 
> Please leave a kudo and/or comment with your thoughts, critique or other. I love reading them.
> 
> also, (shameless self promotion here) for those of you that like Hilda, [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28620519/chapters/70148778%22) is a fic I started working on last week, wont promise weekly updates, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless.


	26. Jitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, this is it
> 
> The last chapter untill the ball, and a small announcement regarding those.
> 
> Updates will be put on a slight halt untill both chapters of the ball are out, after that I'll resume my normal uploading schedule, I just want to nail this arc, so you guys will have to wait a bit longer... Sorry!
> 
> as per usual, [StormySkiesAhead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormySkiesAhead/pseuds/StormySkiesAhead) is awesome, and currently working on an amazing BNHA fanfic, check it out!

It was rare that Alador had a day without work. Being the leader of one of the most numerous of the nine main covens was strenuous work, especially with the new reforms and programs he was spearheading. It was proving to be remarkably difficult indeed.

Forcing the people directly under him that there was a problem with the coven had been a task that had caused him no small deal of headaches. Thankfully at the very least there were some able to take their heads out of their collective behinds long enough to see the issue.

It had taken a while, but all his proposals had been accepted, now it was simply a question of making sure their implementation went without a hitch.

Firstly, he’d needed to set up corrective courses for those that failed to meet standards, then he had been forced to go about finding a way that adequately tested new aspirants, and a scoring system to go with it.

That had been another painful process.

The project was barely in its infancy, and already it was taking Alador a remarkable amount of self-restraint to refrain from blowing a gasket as he truly looked at the state of his coven.

Aspirants with the highest grades, from prestigious families, barely able to perform anything but the most basic of abomination magic. The mere thought incensed him. His daughter, with four years of studies still unaccounted for and two weeks of his own tutelage was already leaps and bounds above them.

Speaking of his youngest child, Alador had found himself pleasantly impressed on more than one occasion by her determined and steadfast approach to training.

Magic fatigue was no joke. It had laid low powerful witches before, and would likely continue to do so for as long as magic was around- it was something to be respected, and anyone suffering from it usually were much more cautious with their magic afterwards, taking it as a warning that their limit was something to be wary of.

Amity seemed to have taken it as an  _ insult _ , as if the way her body had given out on her was an act of treason- one she was aiming to rectify as quickly as possible.

The doctors had prescribed her a resting time of a month before her bile sac had fully healed- the girl had immediately jumped and asked what the minimum time before casting magic again was.

The doctors had given her a wary answer, giving Alador and Odalia a side-eye along the way that his wife might not have noticed, but he had found it significantly hard not to flinch at the scrupulous gazes.

That date had passed…. Two days ago, and Amity was already working herself ragged once more. He found himself more than training her, having to carefully guide her away from overexertion.

There was something else behind her movements however, a tenseness and a bitter attitude that he could only trace back to the day prior.

The day that Odalia had dragged her off to go “shopping” which he thankfully hadn’t been subjected to himself this year.

He was convinced that the word “shopping” should have been synonimized with torture long ago, but alas- it was not to be.

He suspected, with no small degree of uncertainty, that something had happened on the trip, however that brought with it another issue.

He had no idea how to broach the subject to the girl currently making her abomination reform and fall apart in a rapid pace. The beads of sweat on her face reflecting in the early morning sun only added to his worry.

A slight tremble of Amity’s hand, combined with the slight deformation of the abomination she was summoning drove him over the edge, and he strode into the yard to put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. The girl jumped, nearly slipping from his touch, but whirled around moments thereafter, composing herself as she went.

“Yes father, what is it?” She said after a beat, releasing a shaky breath that had him quirking an eyebrow.

“It will do you no good to drain yourself so fully- grab some water, and take half an hour to restore your bile.” He said, fixing the girl in question a stern gaze.

She looked ready to protest, but agreed after a moment, disappearing back into the manor. 

Alador didn’t follow her- opting to enjoy some of the sunlight for himself, closing his eyes as he stood on the grass. It was… Nice, he supposed. 

The sound of the door into the backyard opening once more caught his attention though, eyes opening as he whirled around.

“Amity, I believe I- ah, apologies, Edric and Emira.” He rectified, as his two oldest children entered his field of view.

“Father.” They called out in unison, near identical smiles worn upon their faces in that peculiar way only twins were able to.

He just looked between them, sensing something amiss. 

“Might I help you with something?” He asked, and from the way their faces lit up he should  _ really  _ have expected that.

“Well, we were wondering, since we were… Excused from the Starlight ball, and will thus be left in charge of Blight manor for the full duration of the festivities.” Emira began.

Alador bit back an unimpressed snort. Being banned from attending the ball hardly counted as being “excused” in his eyes, but then again he supposes those were mere semantics.

“Would it be possible for us to invite a few friends over- whilst you and mother take Amity to the ball?” Edric finished.

That… Was surprisingly a lot more reasonable than he had originally expected, he had almost expected a repeat of the wildlife incident Odalia had ranted to him about a few years prior. A simple get-together between students seemed like no big deal.

“Very well, leave a list of possible candidates in my office-” He muttered, before turning back to the sun.

“Candidates?” A voice called out instead- and he looked over his shoulder, to where neari identical frowns met him instead of their earlier grins.

“Yes?” He said, confused.

“They’re our friends… Not just “candidates” or whatever that’s supposed to mean.” Emira’s voice rang out through the backyard, prompting him to fully face them once more, eyebrows raised in confusion.

“That might very well be, but we are still Blights, you cannot expect us to let simply  _ anyone _ within our premises without proper screening.” He reasoned, surely they must understand the logic behind such a decision?

Unfortunately, they disagreed.

Emira took a step forward, thunder crossing her features- even as Edric’s own gaze widened in alarm, trying to yank his sister back with him, she simply shook him off.

“What do you mean, “anyone” they’re our friends, same age as us- I don’t really see an issue here?”

Emira raised a fair point, though her tone left a lot to be desired, in Alador’s opinion- and he voiced it as such.

“I would like to remind you, Emira- that you are speaking to your  _ father  _ here, you would do well to hold your tongue. Lest this little “get together” of yours not go through at all.”

If anything it seemed to galvanize the girl’s resolve further- glare deepening as she seethed silently, before biting out something that made Alador’s blood freeze.

“Of course, because we’re not Amity.”

It was barely above a whisper, yet the sheer vitriol carried within those six words seemed to carry it along by its own accord, making the Blight patriarch’s breath hitch as the sound of his blood pounding against his ears overtook all other audio.

Edric, during their father’s shocked state, had nearly managed to wrestle his still glaring sister back into the house, before Alador snapped out of his stupor, summoning an abomination that blocked off their exit..

“Would you mind repeating that?” He muttered, straining to keep his voice level amidst the maelstrom of thoughts racing throughout his head, stepping forth onto the patio again as he moved towards the twins.

“I think you heard me.” Emira shot back.

Alador merely scoffed. “Such infantile jealousy is above you. Maybe if you feel like your sister is getting preferential treatment, you should endeavour to improve yourself academically-”

“Bullshit.” She  _ growled,  _ cutting him off before he could get another word in.

“I beg your pardon.” He glowered back, taking a step forward, Emira took one towards him in reply, glaring all the while.

“I said.” She spat. “Bullshit, we  _ have  _ been improving academically, we’ve even stopped most of our pranks- ever since that incident at the library, but you wouldn’t have heard about that- would you? And you know why?”

He gave no reply, too shocked by the sheer disdain on display within her words.

“Because  _ we’re. Not. Amity.  _ We’re not your golden goose or whatever you want to call it, so you don't pay attention- hell the only reason you’re out here with her is because you’re trying to use her to get into the emperor’s good graces.”

Alador spluttered, taking a slight step backwards. “That is surely not the case.” He tried to assure her, but it seemed his oldest daughter was having none of it.

“Really?” She muttered, somehow managing to fill those three syllables with enough dripping sarcasm to make  _ him _ doubt his own words. “How come that like, the  _ day after _ Belos reveals Luz to be his daughter, Amity comes into my room- telling me that you suddenly not only tolerate her pursuing a girl romantically, but actively  _ endorse it? _ We both know it used to be a lot different- I remember how she cried when she told the two of you she liked girls for the first time, and the things you said to her.”   
  
Alador scowled at the memory- he had merely stood by as Odalia had done most of the damage, though in such a case, inaction very much still meant guilty.

  
  
“Both of us know that if it had been me or Edric, we wouldn’t even have been given  _ that _ courtsey- it would have been straight out of the house for us. But I don’t blame  _ Amity _ for that- the two of you are not her fault.”

He thinks he might see tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes, but he's too busy gaping like a fish at her biting tone to comment on them. His oldest daughter sees his hesitation for what it is and, like any good Blight would, goes in for the kill.

  
“The only thing I’m frustrated about is Amity, not because she’s getting all your “attention” or something, but because she’s so excited to have you there for once that she doesn’t even notice she’s being manipulated.”

Alador took a step forward at that, anger bubbling to the surface in the form of an ugly scowl.

“ENOUGH!” He yelled, incensed at the sheer disrespect. “I will not have myself so blatantly disrespected! You know  _ nothing  _ of my motivation, so do not dare presume- this discussion is over. Out of my sight.”

He growled the last word, fixing the twins with a glare as they gazed at him defiantly, Edric- as expected broke first, moving back into the house. Emira held on for a few moments longer, before sighing herself- though she stopped at the door, not meeting his gaze, but speaking nonetheless.

“If this isn’t some sort of power play, if this is you actually trying to be a father, that’s great- that really is.” She shot him the sweetest smile he’d ever received from her.

“Just a shame you keep forgetting you have more than just the one kid.”

And with that she was gone, leaving him alone- standing on the patio.

Suddenly the sunshine did nothing to alleviate the chill running through his soul.

\--

It wasn’t proper for a Blight to eavesdrop, not at all. Amity knew this- yet sometimes curiosity killed the witch.

She’d been pouring herself a glass of water, when a shout had rang out from the back yard. Edric and Emira had passed her a few moments prior, something about asking their father for a party. So she didn’t have to guess who exactly was yelling.

  
That worried her more, somehow.

Emira was  _ shouting _ , and even though the words didn’t carry over at an understandable frequency, the fury behind them was frankly unmissable.

Edric and Emira didn’t get angry, she’d last seem them angry about something… Never. Not that she could recall, at least.

She creeped towards the back door, careful not to let herself be noticed as she tried to figure out what was being said.

What she heard, made her blood run cold.

Emira is  _ livid _ , and the fury etched into her features is matched only by the horror on her father’s face. Edric seems to be trying- unsuccessfully- to placate their sister as she lays into the head of the abomination coven with venomous words and a piercing glare.

_ “ -I’m frustrated about is Amity, not because she’s getting all your “attention” or something, but because she’s so excited to have you there for once that she doesn’t even notice she’s being manipulated.” _

She catches that- eyes widening as she realizes the subject at hand. Emira’s angry, and Amity herself is the catalyst.

From what the youngest Blight gathers however, it’s not anger directed at her, Emira seems angry  _ for _ her.

Her mind however latches onto one word.

_ Manipulated? _

Anger seems to be going around in quite the extent today, as within what feels like the blink of an eye her father’s face changes, and when he opens his mouth it’s with a tone that- even though Amity  _ knows _ it’s not being directed at her, still makes her flinch.

It’s an order- she discerns, one that the two of them seem reluctant to follow, Edric blinks first, opening the door, and going pale as he catches her hiding behind the door opening.

“Hide,  _ now _ .” He hisses.

She startles, flinging herself into the coat rack on the other side of the hallway. It’s not perfect, but more than enough to obscure her from Emira’s vision as she appears, face still thunderous, in the doorway.

“If this isn’t some sort of power play, if this is you actually trying to be a father, that’s great- that really is.” She calls out, and Amity flinches at the crack in the girl’s voice, before she looks back at where their father likely is, a saccharine smile appearing on her face.

“Just a shame you keep forgetting you have more than just the one kid.”

With that, Emira steps through the door, following Edric who is shooting her glances every other moment- as if pleading her to stay hidden.

As the door slams shut, however- Amity can’t resist the urge to give the maelstrom in her mind a voice.

“Do- do you think he’s really manipulating me?” She calls out, causing Emira to freeze, whipping her head around.

The older Blight bites her lip, rubbing at her arm before sighing.

“I- I don’t know, he’s never really behaved like this before, so maybe he’s actually trying to be better? I just wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

And if that isn’t the single worst thing Amity could have heard right now.

\--

This was proving quite the arduous task, Kikimora felt.

She had been the main organizer behind every single Starlight ball for the past 49 years of Emperor Belos’ rule, a fact she prided herself on, that and it's spotless reputation.

Yes, everyone had chosen to ignore last year’s debacle with the Blight twins. If anything seeing some of the isles’s most revered members act like spoiled teenagers was a benefit, in her mind. Reminding them of their actions was a surefire way to keep them humble.

This year however, was different.

Security was much,  _ much _ tighter, and the celebration itself was definitely not falling behind in terms of grandeur, why shouldn’t it? After all, they had a fair bit to celebrate.

Not only was it the 50th anniversary of Belos’ reign, a fact that- by all accounts, she thought deserved nothing but the largest of jubilation- no, this year was extremely special.

No expense had been spared, the location had been refurbished to the absolute apex of standards, and Kikimora had even set her pride aside and hired extra planners for the event- by that she meant that she’d dragged the master archivist and a few of his underlings from their chairs and forced them to help. 

_ On a similar note, she really needed to ask the archivist his name, referring to him by his initials of “EC” was getting quite tiring. _

That aside, however, Kikimora was dead set on making this an experience that would be carved into history itself.

After all, this was the year the Isles had officially gained an heir to the throne, coming from what were, in her opinion, the most unlikely set of circumstances ever.

The thought still boggled her mind, but once her initial distaste had worn off, she had looked at the situation through another point of view.

The point of view that noticed Belos’ behaviour changing.

Ever since that night- the last wailing star they’d had, he had changed- subtly? Of course, almost imperceivable to all but his closest of confidantes.

Which meant her and that oaf Gwendolyn, in no uncertain terms.

There was simultaneously an aggression and a more compassionate side to his every move. He had become more steadfast, brooding, and introspective in some cases, and at the same time he had lashed out with greater violence towards those that challenged his rule.

She had no doubt that the attack on his daughter was a primary factor there, as the day after, patrols had doubled, and seemed to have brooked some progress for once.

Among the hordes of wild witches currently locked up on the dungeons, twelve had stood out- their bodies tattooed and scarified with symbols and scriptures that had long since been forbidden.

They’d been carted off to the conformatorium, to be overseen by warden Wrath. The emperor himself was currently undertaking a trip there too, no doubt to try and drag answers from their psyche, as words would be worthless- they’d all removed their tongues, a thought that has her shudder.

But right now, that is not her business, and she shouldn’t allow herself to be distracted as such.

After all, there are things she needs to oversee.

Most importantly, the dress code for the emperor’s staff.

Kikimora allows herself to chuckle a bit. She might be in charge of the ball going smoothly, but, when the opportunity presents itself.

Well she’s not above feeling slightly vindictive.

\--

Gwendolyn was sure of one thing, and one thing alone right now.

She was going to  _ strangle _ that pint sized pain in her behind the next time she laid eyes upon her.

Messing with one another was simply a fact of life for her and the Emperor’s other closest advisors, it had started when Kikimora had complained about her being late for classes a few months after the incident that led to her coming into the emperor’s coven- and her younger self siccing a magical feline after the hand-haired demoness.

The two of them had never liked each other, probably never would- and so they had continued on, for decades.

_ This, _ however?   
  
This was crossing all the lines.

_ Mandatory attendance.  _ The letter had read, and she was fine with that- in this case, she’d already asked Lilith as her plus one a few days prior, that was no big deal.

The _dress_ _code_ on the other hand… She had half the mind to head over to the castle right now and punt the small demones up onto a roof somewhere.

Probably a bad idea, considering her leg was still quite sore, but it would be worth it.

She knew it was petty, but she’d already picked out an amazing ocean blue suit and everything, and now it was just going to be laying in her room collecting dust for a year, at least.

So, with a heavy heart and a drag to her steps, she’d grabbed a casual outfit, flung a jacket on, and set off towards the clothing district of Bonesborough to find a last minute dress.

She had no clue what she was looking for, even less so where to look, so she found herself simply aimlessly wandering around the muck filled streets, stopping from time to time to peer into the multitude of windows.

She didn’t really  _ do _ shopping, never felt the urge to find something like this. After all, she was an assassin, not some femme fatale. That aspect of the job was something she had never cared for.

She’d nearly opted to instead call it a day and simply grab the dress she’d worn to her date with Lilith instead, but that somehow just didn’t feel… Right.

Eda had spilled the beans to her, in no uncertain terms, that the elder Clawthorne had been running herself ragged in order to find something “fitting” for the ball.

Now Gwendolyn had absolutely  _ no _ clue as to what that entailed, but it did put her at a crossroads.

Lilith clearly was making all this effort, specifically for her. Not reciprocating the gesture felt like doing the redheaded woman a disservice.

So, putting her thoughts of torturing Kikimora, and the sinking feeling of being  _ way _ out of her depth aside, she stepped into the next tailor’s shop that caught her attention- not so much with the grandeur, but with the style of dress that they sold.

She caught royal blues and near void like blacks from the window, and well that seemed more up her alley than the pastel puke she’d seen everywhere.

The moment the doorbell’s shriek stopped, a small old woman came rushing around from behind the dress stands, a twinkle in her eye that bore an eerie resemblance to Shadow’s gaze whenever the cat decided to stalk the neighborhood pigeons.

“Hello dearie, can I help you?” she says, clasping her hands in front of her whilst that twinkle in her eyes fades somewhat.

“Yeah, uhh… Looking for a dress?” The assassin mutters, busying herself with looking anywhere  _ but _ the tiny old woman.

“I see, might I know the occasion?” There’s something about the way she looks that puts her at ease, probably the fact she looks like she’s about to keel over putting the assassin part of her mind at ease with the knowledge of stabbing being a viable option should she try something.

Then again, it is an old lady, what’s the worst that can happen? 

“The uh… Starlight ball?”

The very next moment Gwen finds herself being dragged through the shop by the arm, fighting the urge to pull out a knife as she’d led through the shop.

“Well well well, you’ve left it quite late, haven’t you? Luckily for you I’ve got just the thing.” She says with a tone that makes her feel like she’s being scolded.

Gwen allows herself to be dragged through the shop, all the while mentally trying to find a way to pry herself out from the woman’s surprisingly strong grip and make a break for it, maybe an excuse about forgetting to feed Shadow or accidentally leaving open one of the apple critter cages?   
  
The ever more elaborate excuses and escape plans go straight out the window the moment she sees the dress the woman drags her in front of.

She’d never have spotted it from her normal window shopping, and for good reason she supposes. Had it been visible from the street she doubts it would still have been up for sale.

It’s… Well describing it as anything besides breathtaking would be an insult, even that feels slightly understating the beauty of the thing.

“How much?” Is the first thing she says, once she manages to tear her eyes away.

_ 30 minutes later. _

“Well then, note to self. Old ladies with psycho smiles are a hazard to your snail pouch.” She mutters, carrying the newly acquired bags of clothing back to her humble apartment.

She’s lucky to have a pretty decent amount of snails due to her… “services” to Belos, because she doubts that she would have been able to afford her new acquisitions otherwise.

She now also finally understands the power of a strong sales pitch, then again she’s not all that familiar with the dynamics of sales beyond her own humble shop. But that old lady, well she wouldn’t be surprised if she was able to sell sand in a desert.

She’d come out for a dress, just a dress. And she’d left with two necklaces, a pair of two inch heels that were a compromise from the four inch heels she’d spent fifteen minutes convincing the old lady that she didn’t want, a bracelet that she did like, and a pair of earrings that were literally useless yet she’d somehow still bought.

_ She didn’t even have pierced ears! _

That aside… She did have to admit, the dress was a success, and she couldn’t wait to see Lilith’s reaction when she strode into the ball with it on.

\--

Luz was, safe to say- not having the best day. The trip with her father had been fun, far exceeding her expectations, and she was looking forward to doing more stuff like that in the future.

That wasn’t the issue. 

It was the fact that he’d unwittingly forced her to confront something about herself that she had no idea how to deal with.

The first was… Easier, yet at the same time a problem she was apprehensive beyond words about.

She should’ve expected it really, but as they’d been on the way back he’d asked her about the glyphs, any changes in her magic, such things. She could’ve told him the truth, could have told him that her magic seemed to flow much more freely now, and that she actually felt its grasp at her fingertips on occasion now, when her mind wandered.

The problem is, the moment she as much as  _ thought _ about tugging at those particular strings of reality, her mind became awash with the scent of copper and the pounding of her own heart. So, she’d lied- told him nothing had changed.

She wasn’t sure if he’d caught the blatant lie, but he’d let it go regardless, in favour of showing her something that seemed to compound her own worry even further.

He’d, as he himself had explained it, opened a small pocket dimension of his, and grabbed a dusty tome that looked unfamiliar to her.

When he’d opened it, and her mother’s face greeted her- well, let’s just say the resulting panic was nearly worth the few tears that had rolled down her cheeks.

She still had that drawing from weeks ago, but somehow this felt all the more real. As she stroked the picture, she could almost  _ feel _ her mother’s presence within the photograph.

He’d explained what it was, one of the very few keepsakes that he had- and one of his most prized possessions.

He’d given her access to the grimoire almost immediately afterwards, “keying” her to the pocket dimension in much the same way one added someone to an online friend’s list.

He’d explained the trick to her, it simply required her to think of the book- and pulsate her magic, and the doorway would open, allowing her to look inside whenever she wished.

She’d not tried it before, but she was going to do it... 

She’d said the same thing a few hours ago.

And a few hours before that.

Luz groaned, burying her head in the pillow as the frustration of it all made her want to scream.

But enough of that… Her other problem. Well, that was somehow the more difficult one of the two.

Amity liked her, and  _ she _ liked Amity. Simple, right?

Well it would be, if Luz had _ any _ idea how to act on that.

She’d brought it up the day before, asking Eda over dinner what she was to do.

Eda had nearly choked on the stew, that’s how hard she laughed.

Once that near disaster had been averted, the woman had congratulated her on being, and she quotes “the last to know” which, y’know. Didn’t do all that much for her self esteem either.

The words thereafter, however, had helped remedy that blemish on her ego somewhat. She thought back somewhat fondly on that.

\--

“Kid, don’t freak yourself out that much- it’s pretty clear to see the girl likes you too, what’s the real problem here?” 

Luz sighed, shoulders drooping as her gaze turned towards the floor. “But what if he’s wrong, what if she  _ doesn’t?” _

The rap upside the head courtesy of Owlbert that followed swiftly thereafter was painful, yet the stern gaze Eda fixed her prevented her from commenting on it.

“Kid, listen to me- stop worrying so much. You’ll be fine, just be yourself. That’s all that matters.”

Luz had argued with a dour attitude that seemed down right uncharacteristic, and Eda had shown remarkable patience in gently refuting the self deprecating line of thinking.

The breaking point had come at the moment where Luz had admitted that she didn’t even know how to handle it, and how her father had mentioned waiting on the Blight girl was probably not a good decision.

In a surprising twist, Eda had actually- at least partially agreed, but hastened to add in her own colourful opinion.

“Kid, best advice I can give ya- a girlfriend or boyfriend, it’s just a best friend you can kiss on occasion. There’s really not that much difference. Sure there’s a load of mushy stuff, and if I catch you gushing over baby Blight in my household we’ll be having a few stern words. But you’re already most of the way there, you just gotta make one final step, and trust me it’s a lot more painless than it sounds.” She’d said, putting a classical “Eda” spin on actually solid advice, and that had helped a lot.

It made a lot of sense, just… Just a small gesture, but one with meaning behind it.

\--

Back in the present, however- that left her with two answers and a question. The why and how were pretty simple, she found. The  _ where, _ on the other hand?

Yeah that was tricky.

“HEY KID, PACKAGE!” Came her mentor’s voice from downstairs.

Luz frowned. A package?

Her eyes widened to a comical degree as she realized just  _ what _ it was. Throwing off the blankets she was down the stairs within moments, squealing with joy as she looked at the package in her mentor’s hands.

“Any idea what this is?” The owl lady asked, bringing the brown package to her ear and rattling it a few times. “Doesn’t  _ sound _ valuable, here” She tosses the box to Luz, who wastes no time in opening it- gasping at what she sees.

Eda seems curious, as she tries to take a peek. Luz snatches the box away before she can get a proper look, however.

“No peeking before I try it on.” She teases, the owl lady rolling her eyes at the singsong tone but chuckling good naturedly.

“Well then scram! Go try it on- I’m curious to see it as much as you are.”

Luz nods, taking the package and bolting back up the stairs, leaving Eda to watch her go with a fond smile.

\--

A few minutes later Luz trundling down the stairs draws Eda’s eyes open, the woman having decided to crash on the couch for a bit. Un-cursed she might be, but momma still loves her naps.

“Eda, you ready?” Luz calls out, head peeking out from behind the door opening. Eda huffs, but rises to her feet with the needed dramatics.

“Well kid, bring it on.” She says, laying on the fake disinterest in her tone as thick as possible.

As Luz steps out from behind the doorway, however, the awed gasp of “wow” she lets out- that one’s completely real.

Luz looks, well Eda kinda feels like she should be bowing right now, and that’s saying something.

It’s a suit, deep, royal blues offset by highlights of the darkest black she’s ever seen. The fabric catches the light not unlike a prism would, shimmering with gorgeous purples, blues, greens and a dozen other colours that remind Eda a slight bit of Luz’ school uniform.

Her pants are no different, and the only nitpick she has is the belt buckle being in the symbol of the emperor’s coven, but beyond that.

It’s absolutely gorgeous.

“Well, whaddya think?” Luz says nervously, giving a small twirl.

“Well kid, I think that baby Blight isn’t going to be able to take her eyes off of you.”    
  
She means it too, though she doubts anyone else is going to be able to for that matter- she makes a mental note to track down Belos’ hit list in case she spots any creeps at the ball.

Luz flushes deeply at that, shrinking in on herself.

  
“Really?” She mutters, voice small and hopeful to an extent it makes Eda wonder if she’s going to have cavities after this.

  
She takes a step forward, ruffling the girl’s hair whilst shooting her a small smirk.

“Really.”

She takes a step back, regarding the prim and proper visage before her thoughtfully, hand coming up to cup her chin as she looks at the teenager.

“Alright, any accessories?”   
  
That seems to knock Luz out of her shocked revelry.

“ ¿Que?”

“Y’know, earrings, cufflinks, that sort of stuff, thinks to personalize your shebang, y’know?”

Luz just continues looking at her like some sort of terrestrial fish. Eda rolls her eyes, grabbing the suit’s sleeves, and letting out a tired sigh as she sees a pair of plain black cufflinks. High quality, of course, but not “Luz”. she gave the girl a cheeky grin, winking at her before drawing a small spell circle.

There was a flash of light causing both women to avert their eyes, but when they looked back, on the face of each cufflink stood two tiny brown owls.

“See, personalize- and well… Bonehead bought you the suit, might as well contribute, y’know, as your mentor..”

The moment was then succinctly broken as Hooty battered her aside, coiling through the room like some feathered snake as he took in Luz’ look.

“LOOKING GOOD, HOOT, WHAT’S THE OCCASION?”

Luz laughed, holding her sleeves aloft as she looked at the pair of cufflinks. The owl oohed and ahhed for a few moments before completely forgetting about what was happening and moving back out the window.

“Well then, that was a thing.” Eda muttered, before turning back to her protegé, who had a hopeful smile on her face.

“Any other ideas?”

Eda frowned, tapping her foot as she thought, before the idea strikes her.

“Hold on a moment, I have  _ just _ the thing.” She says, taking off into the house.

Her destination? Luz’ room.

It takes her a while to find, courtesy of Luz’ room being a veritable dumpster fire. She’s  _ so _ proud of the girl for that. Cleanliness is for chumps anyways.

When she finally manages to pry it out from underneath a tome and her satchel, she lets out a giddy grin, bolting back down with her newest idea clutched in her hands.

When she presents it to Luz however, the girl just looks at her questioningly.

“Uh, Eda, I don’t think a cape’s gonna be fitting into this outfit.”   
  
Eda just waves the comment off, taking the cape over to the couch and carefully removing the golden pin- leaving it a pile of two toned fabric. Once that’s done, she waves Luz over.

“Arms out Kiddo, need to get this just right.” She says, holding her arms perpendicular to the ground, the brown haired girl following suit soon thereafter. Eda folds the fabric a few times in such a way that the resulting ribbon was equal amounts deep blue and lavender. She drapes the newly dual toned over Luz’ left shoulder, folding the two sides into one another before pinning them in place right over Luz’ breast using the golden pin.

She takes a step back, admiring the newly fashioned sash. The dark blue is a few shades lighter still than the near midnight ink of the suit, the lavender a bright shock of contrast that brings a hint of chaos to the formal outfit- nothing better to describe Luz, she thinks.

She frowns at the golden pin.

Almost…   
  
Another quick spell and the plain gold now proudly bore two letters carved upon its visage, a capital L and N, the initials of the most special witch on the isles.

  
She summoned a mirror, allowing the girl to see the small adjustments she’d make.

She expected a few excited giggles, maybe a thank you and one of those weird arm thi- oh yeah, “hugs” as she’d called them.

She didn’t expect tears to bubble up in the girl’s eyes.

Before her mind caught up to what she was doing, the girl was in her arms, the owl lady rubbing a few small circles on Luz’ back.

“Hey, what’s wrong kiddo, I can always change it if you want.” She gently said, wondering what she’d done wrong.

The girl shook her head into her shoulder, confusing the owl lady for a bit, before she spoke up. Muffled, of course- due to the fact she was buried against the owl lady, but Eda understood it just fine.

“Thank you,  _ so much.” _

And if Eda felt tears well up in her own eyes at that- well she’d simply say one of Luz’ hairs had poked her in the eyes if the girl asked.

“Silly girl, don’t cry over something like that- you’ll ruin the suit.”   
  
The girl laughed into her embrace, a muffled “I guess” coming from her, and Eda’s chest blossomed with a warmth that she hadn’t felt before Luz had come into her life.

She might be princess of the isles, might be Belos’ daughter.

But she’ll always be Eda’s kid.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a chapter I had a lot of fun writing
> 
> till next time, hopefully you all enjoy it, please leave your thoughts!

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. This is beyond a doubt one of my favourite things I've ever written. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Also once again, please comment! they're genuinely incredible and I love responding to them.


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